Sharing in others suffering.

As I was telling my Jr. high students today the story of the Dr. Brennan disclosing to Mrs. Redding and me the fact that I have an aneurism too, one of the students spoke up.

“Mr. Redding you sound just like my grandpa…” (This analogy is already off on the wrong foot.) “He had cancer just like you and he now has an aneurism.” (Ok, so maybe I can turn this around on the right foot I am thinking)

So I replied, “Oh thank you for letting me know this because now I can identify more with your Grandpa’s suffering and I can pray for him as I go through an aneurism.”
Another student pipes in by saying to the first student, “Wow, your grandpa has gone through a lot.”

And then the first student says, “Not only cancer, an aneurism, but also a heart attack and falling off the back of a truck…”

I had to quickly jump in on this list of sufferings by saying – “I said I can identify with your grandpa’s aneurism but I am not quite ready to identify with that other stuff like a heart attack and falling off the truck.” And we all laughed.
But then I was reminded: Even though I was not ready to go that far with identifying with this grandpa, our Lord Jesus had already identified with his suffering and all who suffer, no matter what the extent is. Wow, we have such a mighty Savior! You must read in this light - Isaiah 53 – here is just a portion of that whole chapter:

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with sickness; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (ESV footnotes inserted)
(See also Mat. 8:16-18)

Isaiah 53 draws the picture of the truth that Jesus does go the whole way with His people in suffering, not matter how much, how long, or to what extent. He is with us and has promised to be with us through it all. (Heb. 13:5, Deut. 31:6,8, Josh. 1:5, 1Kings 8:57, and Ps. 27:9)