Did Jesus Ever Get Sick Like We Do? May 19
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Dan Held
“Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4 HCSB).
We may have trouble imagining Jesus even catching a cold, let alone being afflicted with any other sickness or disease of the body. I cannot personally picture the very Son of God ever leaving work in the middle of the day because He didn’t feel well or calling upon His Father in heaven to sign Him out for the day on “sick leave.” Surely, He never had a coughing fit while attending a worship service and had to excuse Himself for a drink of water. It rarely occurs to me that He knew some level of human pain in His fully human body even before His terrible trial, beating, and crucifixion. Surely, He never got sick like we do. Or did He?
The writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus as being our High Priest, tempted to sin as we are. And probably more. Much more. In Hebrews 4:15 (NLT) we read, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” So, we know Jesus was tempted to sin as we are—but is it possible that Jesus understands all of our weaknesses of body, and not just our state of mental temptation? Does He “get it” when we plead for help with our physical as well as our mental trials as human beings? Has Jesus suffered “with” us physically, and not just “for” us spiritually?
I personally believe so. Look at today’s verse: “Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.” Why is this important? Since Jesus came to earth as a precious human child, He is able to not only hear our prayers, but to understand our suffering—because He too suffered. So now I can come to God in prayer through Jesus, knowing that He “gets me” and fully understands my human condition. And it’s why the writer of Hebrews continues with these all-important words concerning Jesus, our High Priest who has known suffering: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).
Pray: O God of all understanding, we thank You that through Jesus You are able to “get” whatever we are going through in our own bodies, as well as our minds. Because there is no temptation, and indeed no suffering that You have not known first-hand, we can come boldly to Your throne of grace this day. Grant us Your mercy today in our times of greatest need. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
Your Turn: What physical struggles are you dealing with as a cancer patient, caregiver, or survivor? Take a moment to lift these in prayer to your High Priest Jesus.
Dan Held, Cancer Caregiver
Dan is a cancer caregiver who lives with his wife (Sue) of 55 years in Dayton, Ohio, where Sue has been free from breast cancer and colon cancer for two years! Dan is an ordained pastor and a licensed therapist with a heart for families touched by cancer at any stage. He is dedicated to promoting the message of more love and less fear in all aspects of his ministry and life. Check out his blog at www.danielkheld.com.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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