Distress

Deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts (3:5)

Caring hurts. It bends you and breaks you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes we try and cover this up with too much work. Vicars fly around doing everything, trying to put salve on every cut, to give succour to every sorrow. Teachers spend every waking hour marking, preparing, educating. Managers lie awake at night worrying about redundancy, about low pay, about work-related stress. In this angst, we have a good example in Christ. He too is deeply distressed by others, but he deals with it differently. He feels just as strongly, nay more strongly, than us, yet remains at peace with his Father and at ease with his work. He does not avoid the challenge of confronting the stubborn, healing with a word, but there is no sign it overwhelms him as it can us. 

How does he manage this? Well, I'd be interested to hear your answer, but I suggest three possible ways. First, he knows that his Father is in charge and trusts every step to his guidance, 'I only do what I see my Father doing'. Second, he has no trouble taking time out to rest.The Son of Man may have nowhere to lay his head, permanently, but he is quite happy laying it down and closing his eyes. And third, he, of all people, he, who could stop the storm and multiply the minuscule, has absolutely no problem allowing people to chose not to find life, to reject truth, to go their own way. Do we?



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