Lesson for the Lord’s Day
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
People in the entertainment world, and millions of other people, were shocked in August of 2014 when the famous actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California, a victim of suicide. Williams was a highly acclaimed entertainer, having been nominated for four Academy Awards and having received many citations and awards for his performances in films, in television shows, and in live performances. To most people, Robin Williams was a very funny man, making untold millions of people laugh with his ability to tell jokes and to perform in comedy situations. But something was wrong. How could a man who was so overflowing with apparent good nature and fun come to a decision to take his own life? That was the shock of it. Nobody knew what was going on within that man’s mind. Nobody knew how terribly the ravages of depression had affected him and dragged him to the point of total despair. Those of us who have never experienced the disease have no way to relate to what happened to Robin Williams. We just can’t understand. But there are some people who do. People who have been afflicted with similar depression problems tell us that they can relate, because they have been there. That is what our text is telling us today concerning the Lord Jesus, our High Priest, who experienced all of the effects of sin, even though He was without sin.
Isaiah 53:4 tells us that ‘Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows’. We can recall times when the Lord Jesus wept or was grieved, such as His encounter with the sisters of dead Lazarus in John 11, or His sorrow at the departure of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, or His lament at the failure of Jerusalem to recognize and receive Him in Luke 19. It is impossible to read these portions without realizing how much the Lord Jesus understood and cared. Many times we read of how He took pity on people who were grieving or suffering. And He does the same today. There is no suffering or calamity that befalls any of us that the Lord Jesus does not understand and know all about. We find great comfort in knowing that He cares, that He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
There is a reason why the Lord Jesus is able to relate to us in our infirmities: He experienced everything that we can experience. Although He could never submit to temptation, He was subjected to greater temptations than you and I have ever experienced. Although He is the Creator of the universe, He knew what it was to be poor, hungry, tired, and lonely. Although He is the personification of love and displayed the love of God to all He encountered, He was despised, rejected, misunderstood, and forsaken. Although He never sinned, and could not sin, He was executed as though He was the worst of criminals.
We have a High Priest Who knows and cares. -Jim MacIntosh