Jesus, the Man of sorrows

Dana Candler made this post on her blog a few days ago that you should check out. It's really caused me to think deeper about Jesus as the "Man of sorrows", as Isaiah 53 describes Him.

Isaiah didn't mean he was a "sad" Man walking around day by day depressed by the condition of humanity or by the pain of the cross He would have to endure, but rather a Man who felt the pain of being misunderstood, rejected, and despised to its fullest. Jesus did not use pride and self-exaltation as a "defense mechanism" against all of the accusations against Him. Dana puts it so well - she said:

Perhaps the most potent part of this deep rejection lies in the fact that this most discarded Man did nothing to shield Himself from such profuse rejection. He did nothing to protect His heart from the hate, nothing to guard His person from the rage. In His sinlessness—free from pride and arrogance—He lacked the “self-centered” means found in the proud heart that so readily protects itself. The nature of compassion, that quality most attributed to Jesus, stands in direct opposition to the nature of pride. Only arrogance can forge walls and instigate “safe distances” from fellow human hearts. Only pride knows how to offer indifference and coldness to another. But Love knows no such response. Love bears all things and embraces every person in its path. Love so cherishes the individual heart that it always hears every word spoken without covering its ears, always sees every deed done without uncaringly looking away and always opens to every response offered without closing its heart.

Knowing Jesus bore every emotional pain, hurt, and rejection to its fullest for the sake of love gives me courage to approach Him as my Brother in my worst moments. He truly showed us what His Father is like as One full of compassion. He is not so far off, but is closer to us than we can possibly imagine. God came so low and so near so as to bring me close to Himself!

This is what makes me love Him!