“You don’t understand me! You never will!”
Every parent with a child over ten has heard those words. We may murmur consoling platitudes in return, and we may truly shrug at the incomprehensible silliness of our child’s behavior, but the truth is, we’ve been there. Eleven isn’t news to us. We’ve done the thirteen thing. And sixteen, when “everyone else has a car,” why, we’ve said the same thing.
We’ve walked in our child’s shoes, and the truth of the matter is that they don’t understand us.
Now let’s move forward in time and look at ourselves. We’re adults now, twenty, forty, or maybe past the age of sixty. We raise a fist to God in frustration and cry, “You don’t understand what I’m going through. Why won’t you help?”
The truth is, he’s been where we are. The fact of the matter is that we are the ones who don’t understand him.
Hebrews 2:14 begins his story:
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood…”
This is us, eleven, thirteen, or sixteen. We’re flesh and blood, unable to see past who and what we are. All we know is our childish wants and needs, and we can’t see it from the adult side of the coin.
“…he himself likewise partook of the same things…”
Jesus was (and is) of a divine nature. He knew he couldn’t truly understand the human condition unless he lived in the flesh. He was born, turned eleven, experienced thirteen, and felt the same sixteen-year-old frustrations of every human everywhere. We see him as all churchy and god-like, but he’s worn our lives like a close-fitting garment.
“…that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Jesus had to leave his humanity behind so that he could do the god-stuff that would bring us salvation and eternal life. Just like our natural parents who can’t afford to hold too tightly to thirteen, talk about boys all night, and sneak out the family car to joy-ride darkened streets, Jesus had to become God once again to care for us as his children. The best parents are the ones that say, “I’m not thirteen, and I’m not going to behave like thirteen, but I’ve been there. I understand, and I’ll help you through this rough spot so you can someday mature into the adult I want you to be.”
That’s Christ’s consoling message to us. He commands the power of God, and is enveloped in the Father's attributes of righteousness and justice; but he’s been human, just like us, and he understands. He’s prepared to help us through the rough spots, so we can someday become the mature Christian he wants us to be. Just like our earthly parents, he doesn’t always take the problems away. That’s not good parenting. Helping us to learn from our problems shows us he loves us in every possible way.
Getting rescued from the flood doesn’t teach us to swim. Jesus wants us to become Olympic athletes for him.
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