06.05.2023 Lessons from a Spontaneous Banquet: Grief

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. . .

Now when Jesus heard [that his cousin John had been killed], he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.

While grief has been a common part of the human experience since the Fall, it seems like something that God, who lives in the paradise of heaven, would not understand. This is why God becoming truly human in Jesus is such a powerful thing. God does understand the struggles we experience. At the beginning of the account of the feeding of the 5000 Jesus is trying to get away. He needs to be alone to wrestle with His grief over John the Baptist’s death. It hit Jesus so hard that he needed to disconnect from His ministry and take some time alone. When you are experiencing grief and sorrow, know that God does understand. You can talk to Jesus about it. He will not only listen, but He will weep with you and then begin the process of healing the wound in your soul. Isn’t it wonderful to have a God who has walked a mile in our shoes?

Lord Jesus, thank You for walking in my shoes so I can know you understand me when grief assails and love me when I’m broken. Amen.

The darker the night, the brighter the stars,

 The deeper the grief, the closer is God! ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing. — Marcus Aurelius