The Six Days of Christmas (4) Tears and Smiles like us he knew

THE GOD WHO EMPATHISES WITH US

For he is our childhood's pattern:
day by day like us he grew,
he was little, weak and helpless,
tears and smiles like us he knew;
and he feeleth for our sadness,
and he shareth in our gladness.

One of the reasons God allows church leaders to suffer is to reveal to them the afflictions of ordinary folks in their congregations.

Not just leaders are called to the ministry of sufferering. 

All believers are called into the great task of comforting others with the comfort with which they have been comforted.

We pass through a bereavement, for example, and all of a sudden find our hearts torn when someone else we know is passing through the self-same trial. 

A soft and tender heart is what the Lord wants of us all. And it can only be gotten from the Holy Spirit through the valley of suffering.

TESTED IN EVERY WAY

I have often pondered those striking words about Jesus found in Hebrews, that he was "tested in every way, just as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) The notable feature is "every way;" Jesus passed through all the tests that we do. That includes the very one we are passing through today. 

So often we can feel that our trials are unique to us. We see no-one around us fighting the same battle. We know of no-one struggling in the same way. We have not read of anyone in history who endured the same trial. 

And to some extent this is true - our trials have a uniqueness about them. No two people experience the same bereavement in the same way; no two people face  cancer in the same way, and so on.

But there is something in common with every kind of trial, a common core which all sufferers share. And we are never "the only one" to be suffering that common core, for Scripture reminds us that "no temptation (test) has overtaken youexcept what is common to mankind." (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

That in itself is a comfort - other Christians are passing through the same trials. But the highest comfort we can possess is that Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, has been tested in every way that we have been, and heaven now has a sympathiser sitting on the right hand of God, who "feeleth for our sadness and shareth in our gladness."

A MAN IN HEAVEN TODAY

It's easy to forget that the Man Christ Jesus now sits on God's throne on high. A man with a resurrected human body. A Man who has experienced the sorrows of our lives. A Man who understands. A High Priest who is able to sympathise with us. When he hears our prayers he hears them as an "insider" and his Spirit within us is able to take even our unintelligible gobbledygook words and make their deep meaning comprehensible to the sympathising Jesus.

The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Sweetest note in seraph song;
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you that in your great wisdom, you planned salvation around your Son. We thank you that you sent him into the world to live our life, share in our joys and suffer our sorrows.

We thank you that heaven understands the heartaches of this broken world and we thank you that we have a sympathising ear in heaven.

Help us to come boldly to you in our time of need, knowing that this is true.

We ask this in the name of our Great High Priest,

Amen