It’s a really cool thought to think that even in being tired, Jesus can sympathize with us. Because while Jesus was all God, He was certainly still all man.
There are some visitors that I love when they come to visit. There are others that, at face value, are not so welcome when they drop in unexpectedly. One of the not-so-welcome visitors is this expressionless, somewhat dark character called...weariness.
I don't have time, and I'm sure that you don't have time for this guy to show up on your doorstep and unload all his weighty baggage, which is almost never offloaded into the margins of your life, but typically lands squarely in the middle of it, affecting every part.
This visitor usually is accompanied and empowered by Mr. Health Issues, or Mrs. Financial Issues, or Mr. Relational Issues, or lately, Mr. and Mrs. World/Country/Virus/Politics issues. They visit often when we least expect or want them.
They are never accompanied by the wonderful guests named Joy and Peace. No doubt, there are many legitimate needs in each of our lives, our families, our country and our ministries, that just need our attention, yet we all have experienced the weariness of the continual onslaught of responsibilities.
John 4:6 reads “...Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”
Yet we also read in Isaiah 40:28,
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.”
This seeming contradiction in Jesus being weary in John 4 and “the everlasting God neither is weary” has some light shed on it by Thomas Nelson when he shared,
“In fact in Hebrews 4:15, it says this: ‘We have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.’"
It’s a really cool thought to think that even in being tired, Jesus can sympathize with us. Because while Jesus was all God, He was certainly still all man.
I am humbled and brought back to reality when we read stories of the challenges our brothers and sisters experience as told this month in our ITMI newsletter. I also received this email from ITMI's Lazarus Yezinai in South Sudan, a place that is always hit harder by conflict, famine and desolation than almost any place we minister. Lazarus shared:
Dear Sir,
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, how are you doing? ...I hope you are doing well by the grace of God. ... I pray that the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ protects all of you in ITMI and your families in Jesus name.
The beginning of this year was not so good to me because I lost two cousin brothers (= cousins who are close like a brother) of mine who are so close to me, one died on 11 January...[from cancer], on 6 February 2022 the follower of that brother was killed in the countryside, both of them left their children very young.
I [have been] seriously sick for 9 days in bed, I was affected with blood infection, complications in my intestine and malaria, I have taken the treatment but am still not feeling well in my intestine.
My younger boy Joshua and his friend, the child of our neighbor, got in an accident on 12 February 2022, but thank God my son is safe only his friend’s leg got broken and is now in treatment.
This year is not fair [good] to me but I thank God in all these I am strong in faith and God is helping and comforting me every day.
So I need your prayers please, let me be strong and faithful to my God in any situation. Thank you and be blessed in Jesus name.
Please allow me to thank each of you for helping us help those in this world that have far less than we do, and who experience challenges of life that open the door for a visit from ...weariness.
If you care to, please see 10 Ways to Overcome Spiritual Weariness by Pastor Mark Altrogge at churchleader.com.
Blessings and much peace and joy as you rest and reflect on all that our God is and what He has in store for us.
In His Service,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Evers has advocated for and served the ITMI partners as ITMI Director since 2001. Approximately once a year, Steve visits with ITMI partners in their countries and brings stories back to encourage supporters. Steve enjoys photography and mechanics (both hobbies that have greatly benefited ITMI partners!) Prior to becoming ITMI’s Director, Steve served on […]
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