Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Last week in my reflection, I lifted up St John’s repetitive use of the phrase “as he is” in his first letter and invited us to strive to be like Jesus in every way. Remarkably, this week, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews makes clear that it was God’s plan that Jesus become like us! Today, we have confidence that we have a merciful and faithful high priest in Jesus who shared our humanity in order to take away our sin and set us free. We can run confidently to this Jesus who knows so intimately what it’s like to be human that he can help us in any situation we face in life. Let us gather at his door today, bringing all our cares, concerns, trials, suffering, sickness, sorrows, temptations.
God could have saved us in any way God chose. Yet, the transcendent, holy, and completely “other” God chose to save us from the sinful mess we made of ourselves and our world by entering into it with us. This is simply extraordinary! God entered our corruption with holiness; God entered our cruelty and hatred with perfect love; God entered our brokenness with shalom – wholeness, peace, and well-being. God entered our world! God became like us in every way but sin!
Our Psalm response sings out, “The Lord remembers his covenant forever,” and references God’s covenant with Abraham in its verses. The first reading takes up this theme, “Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.” He had to become like us in every way . . . What does that truth mean to you? Where do you find yourself in that reality of our experience in Christ?
The first reading goes on, “Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” Another translation reads, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” [NIV]. It was necessary for our salvation that Christ be fully human as well as fully divine. Christ’s incarnation made it possible for him to become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and our Great High Priest. Christ’s humanity brings us another benefit. We have a divine Intercessor. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father always interceding for us (Rom. 8:34). He is our perfect Intercessor because he is our perfect Empathizer.
Think about times when you’ve been in the midst of a trial and are upset, anxious, or afraid. In those moments, we need someone who can understand, don’t we? We need someone to listen, offer compassion, and who can empathize. We need someone who really understands what we’re going through and who won’t pass judgment, critique, or condemn us. This is Jesus! Because he himself suffered, he is able to help us in our suffering. God is not some far away distant, unfeeling, disconnected deity. No! God is so intimately loving, kind, merciful, forgiving, and faithful that God came to us and became like us! God did not leave us lost in our broken humanity, God came to us and entered our condition. Christ was like us in every way except sin. Jesus knows us inside and out; Jesus understands what we’re going through.
In our Gospel today, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law and then later the entire town turns out, bringing him all the people who were ill or demon possessed. I was struck by this statement, “The whole town was gathered at the door.” Later, Jesus retreats to a quiet place to pray, but Peter comes to him saying, “Everyone is looking for you.” The whole town, everyone, sought out Jesus; everyone was looking for him. Now granted, many of those folks came to see a show, not to seek a Savior. But could we perhaps apply this “everyone” to our lives today? Because we know who Jesus is, our Emmanuel, our God-with-Us, the one who saved us and set us free, the one who understands every situation we could possibly ever face – because we know him, might we all, everyone, run to him today? Might we all gather at his door?
Today, let us bring every situation of our lives in which we’re struggling, and lay them at the feet of the One who became like us in every way. Jesus understands. Allow him to comfort you, reassure you, listen to you, heal you, set you free. And, as our psalm proclaims, “rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!”
-Elizabeth Wells