A long time ago, a group of Christians wrestled with what it means that Jesus was man and God at the same time. They made a statement, saying that it is important to say that Jesus is both man and God, without letting one overshadow the other.
The idea that Jesus was really a person, and didn’t just seem to be, is really important. One of the reasons it is important is that it shows us that even God sympathizes with our weaknesses, as this ancient, Scriptural letter recognizes.
I’m left with a tension, though, because in the ancient statement, Christians said that Jesus had everything that you or I have makes people human, sin only excepted.
Sin only excepted. These three words make it difficult for me to see Jesus as one that sympathizes in my weakness. How can I affirm that I serve a high priest who sympathizes in my weaknesses, while still agreeing with the early church that Jesus was just like me, sin only excepted.
What sin only excepted means is this:
Jesus was just like me, except he didn’t have the intrinsic problem that I have that leads me to rebel against God and his leadership, seeking to implement my own Lordship over myself and the world.
Jesus was just like me, except he didn’t have the intrinsic problem that I have that leads me to seek my own interests over all others, leading me to a state of complete isolation and despair.
Jesus was just like me, except he didn’t have the intrinsic problem that I have that leads me to be hateful to my wife, mock the people I disagree with, serve myself, rebel against God, and continually try to oppress and dominate others.
Jesus was just like me, except he has no idea what it feels like to be lured away and enticed by his own desire. He doesn’t have this rebellious nature within him, continually desiring what is bad for him.
This leads me to struggle with Jesus as my sympathetic high priest. Make no mistake. What Jesus did was an incredible sacrifice. He sympathized with many of my weaknesses. He sympathized with being hungry, tired, grumpy, angry, annoyed, horny, discouraged, and unable to accomplish things he wanted to do. Jesus dealt with genuine temptation from outside influences, and dealt with the absolute worst that life within a fallen world had to offer. What makes this more incredible is that Jesus is God. For God to go through this is an astounding sacrifice. I have no desire to minimize it.
However, I do struggle. Jesus sympathized with many of my weaknesses, even most of my weaknesses, but not my main weakness. This leads me to wonder how we can really affirm that he knows what I am going through by experience.
Sin only excepted: These three words ring in my head and cause me to have a significant struggle with my sympathetic high priest. Jesus may be sympathetic to a pre-fallen humanity, knowing many of the weaknesses that come with being human. But does he really understand me? Does he know my struggle?
Christians: How can we say Christ was without sin and also say Christ was a sympathetic high priest?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
Have to totally agree with this blog. Finally went through and read some of yours here and I have to say, you draw some pretty interesting lines. You believe in voting for legislating morality, but not in marriage, you're sympathetic to Ted Haggard when he abuses his body but not his money... I'm not even saying I disagree with your lines, just find them interesting. Though, honestly, I was expecting more (volume and exploration of thoughts and ideas) in your blogs. Nervous about the permanence of the digital word? Just messing with you. Good reading though. (PS, my word verification was "zonalit" which sounds like a new anit-depressant drug from a commercial doesn't it?)
Post a Comment