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When You Are In Misery...Who Cares?

by Stephen Stillman  
12/05/2010 / Christian Apologetics

The book of Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christians who were struggling with their faith and may have been considering a return to Judaism. These Christians were most likely undergoing fierce persecution from the Jews and Romans. Jesus Christ had not returned to establish His kingdom, and the people needed to be reassured that Christianity was true and that there is sufficiency in Christ. These Christians were looking for some word to lift their failing faith; some certainty to anchor their sinking souls; some promise to keep them steady and their spirits strong; and some presence greater that their deepest grief.

These Christians were much like us today. It is common for us to feel alone in our misery. That hospital room can take on the feeling of a dungeon when some deadly disease has you flat on your back. That living room can become a dark and lonely place if your spouse or child will never come through the door again.

The question becomes this: Who really cares? Is there someone we can be assured truly understands? The author of Hebrews wrote that in and through all their struggles and sufferings, God's people need not despair. The author, rather than pointing to some power within human potential, he proclaimed Christ, the "great high priest." Hebrews 4:14-16, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to find help in time of need".

How could it not comfort us to hear this truth about the crucified and exalted Jesus? Jesus knew of those life experiences which so often strain our spirits and bring us close to our breaking point. Jesus also knew of these human pains which, if left unattended and undefeated, will eventually lead only to doubt, despair, and discouragement so deep it can cause one to disown the Christian faith. When the Christian faith is disowned one is left to wander in the wastelands of self pity, and a hopeless preoccupation with it's own darkness and distress.

There is another way. We must be aware that when the author of Hebrews speaks of "mercy", he means the forbearance of God. In other words, God forever stands behind His promise to be with us and for us, despite our petty foolishness and failures in our faith. God's heart simply overflows with tender compassion for us who He created. God's mercy is the pity which places the Lord's love right in the center of every human weakness, misery, and helpless heartache we could ever have. The writer of Hebrews also proclaims God as one who possesses a generous and kindly disposition. The writer also suggests that "mercy" has to do with God's sympathy for our deepest and darkest struggles.

We may never understand why we suffer so many senseless pains in this life, but if we know that Jesus bears them with us it should somehow remove our sufferings from the realm of meaningless affliction. It is a comfort to know that Christ, above and beyond all others, continuously cares about our sufferings. In essence, Hebrews says to us that there is nothing in human existence, or the entire realm of creation, that we in Christ cannot see through to victory.

But there is something for us to remember. The primary thing is neither the physical distress, nor the mental turmoil, nor the spiritual anguish we sometimes suffer. The primary issue is the inner response which the soul and spirit make to these outward influences. That is why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to "approach the throne of grace with boldness". Here the writer is referring to prayer. We must be careful that in our misery when we feel powerless that we never become prayerless. We see that happen to some of the most saintly souls. They suffer some incurable disease, or some unyielding sorrow, and then they begin to doubt both the purpose and power of prayer. Their misery makes them wonder if God pays attention to their prayers. But when prayer is properly understood it isn't so much about the power of words, as it is the placement of our hearts. With prayer we can place every fear, frustration, and pain before the presence of God where He welcomes us, understands us, comforts us, and provides His power to help us find victory.

Jesus knows how we feel when hardships bear down upon us. He knows how we feel because He himself was tested by what He suffered, and so, He is able to help those who are being tested. Jesus has once and for all taken our human needs to His heart. This is a significant feature of His passion. Because we confess Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, or in the language of the book of Hebrews, Jesus has "passed through the heavens". Now the exalted Christ takes all human need to heart "with undiminished severity".

In Hebrews, Christ guarantees a merciful and boundless compassion. With that guarantee the despairing Christian is given the confidence to trust that He is ever near with mercy to soothe our hearts, the understanding that He has the compassion to console our fears, and the knowledge that He has the power to see that, by His grace, we soon prevail.

So the answer to the question, "who really cares?"..Jesus Christ our High Priest really cares!

Stephen Stillman, owner of www.amazingchristianproducts.com a website that offers great Christian articles and a variety of religious products.

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