The One Who Understands

     I remember when John Luke was eight years old .....I was visiting a neighbour next door and the cookie jar was on top of the refrigerator with lots of chocolate chip cookies ....John Luke's favourites!  He knew I would say no at that time of the day, so he climbed on a chair and retrieve the jar.  Eating one or two cookies was no problem .....three or four .....nine, ten ........

     I knew something was wrong when John Luke called downstairs and said he was not feeling well and didn't think he wanted anything to eat at dinnertime.  I found John Luke crouched down in the bathroom, clutching his middle and tearfully ready to confess what he had done.  

     I got some stomach medicine from the cabinet and helped John Luke to bed.  I brought him some water to sip and said 'well it's no dessert for you for a while.'  I remember John Luke asking why I was not mad at him.  I laughed and told him I had been where he was before .....that believe it or not I had been a little girl!  I then asked him if I had ever told him why I didn't like apples ......that once I did.  He told me no.  I shared with him how when I was his age a friend and I sneaked to our neighbours and ate many apples from their tree.  I was sick for days.  I told him disobeying was wrong, but I knew how he was feeling.

     I think this story reflects what we experience with Jesus.  He entered into our world, He became a man and walked through life ....experiencing joy, pain, betrayal, corruption, lies .....Jesus knows ......it is not something He knows from a distance .....He knows how we feel.  In the book of Hebrews, we can read that although He never sinned, He knows only too well what temptation is like.  In fact, nothing is hidden from Him.  

     Just like I held my little boy when he was in pain and sick, Jesus is with us, He cares, He is listening, He is even holding us like I held John Luke.  Yes there are consequences to our actions, but we don't ever have to run from Him thinking He doesn't understand .....He does and He will walk with us through whatever it is ......He may deliver us, He may not .....but He is always there and loves us beyond all we can imagine.