Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:02:12 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Apr. 2); BP: Is. 53; RBTTY: Lk. 7:1-30; Judg. 16-18
April 2 “A Man of Sorrows”
“He is despised and rejected—a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. .
.”
Isaiah 53:3a
We never have to wonder if He cares or understands.
For the last several years one of the children’s favorite cartoon
characters has been Winnie the Pooh. This delight little teddy bear, with a
winsome smile, soft voice and contagious giggle, has a way about him that
touches our hearts. Yet, one of his “friends” is a flop-eared donkey named
Eeyore, who’s always moping around and sad about this or that. Winnie tries
to cheer him up, but the poor fellow always seems to find a way to be
“down,” which affects the way he walks and talks.
If we’re not careful, there’ll be times we more resemble Eeyore than we
do Winnie. And, if we’re honest, we’ll confess there really are more than
enough reasons in this world to be down and depressed: Wholesale killing of
innocent men, women and children by suicide bombers. . .starving people in
third-world countries around the world. . . victims of genocide and
ethnic-cleansing in various places. . .those dying from AIDs or some other
terrible disease, etc.
Then, when you throw in our own “trials and tribulations” on the home
front—fractured families, cancer-ravaged bodies, a “nation-divided” by
partisan politics, etc.—it’s enough to leave you down-and-out all the time.
That’s why today’s Manna is one that needs to continually be “hidden in our
hearts” (Ps. 119:11); otherwise, we’ll soon find our joy evaporating and our
faith fading fast.
It was no accident that the Coming “Anointed One” from God would be
described as “a man of sorrows, well-acquainted with grief.” Our Lord knew
how sad this sinful, fallen world can be at times. He knew our tendencies
to wear masks. . .engage in superficial “elevator-talk”. . .smile a plastic
smile. . .put up a good front. . .while inwardly dying inside.
Likewise, He knew how well we “play the game,” pretending that all’s
well or how easily we withdraw from others and avoid their searching eyes.
So, the Lord Jesus purposely/intentionally became a “Man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief” so no one would ever again have to say “No one knows
what I’m going through.”
He does, Pilgrim. He does.
Notice carefully that “sorrow” (Heb. “mak’ ob”—“anguish, affliction,
pain, grief, etc.”) is in the plural. And, when we couple this with Heb.
2:18 and 4:15, we realize there’s nothing we’ll ever experience that’s
unique to us or foreign to Him (I Cor. 10:13; Mt. 11:28-30; I Pet. 5:7).
Hallelujah!!
As the old Gospel song said, “Does Jesus care when I’ve said goodbye to
the dearest on earth to me; when my sad heart aches ‘till it nearly breaks,
is it ought to Him does He see? Oh yes, He cares! I know He cares! His
heart is touched with my grief. When the days are dreary, the long nights
weary, I know my Savior cares.” Amen and amen.
_________________________________________________________________
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