Although He Was a Son

Heb. 5:8

"Although he was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered."

How can I expect anything less? If Jesus, the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering, this most certainly is the way that I am to learn obedience. Specifically, Hebrews is referring to Gethsemane where Jesus prayed in such agony. What an example for me! Jesus did not respond to suffering by feeling sorry for Himself, indulging in self-pity, or even in depression. He uttered prayers that far exceeded mere words but that were saturated with great emotion. Hebrews tells us that "He offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence."

The first thing that I see from Jesus' example is great emotion. When I am in a tough spot, what is my emotional level? Am I so involved in seeing the problem from my point of view that my emotions have gone from agonizing to bitter? Am I allowing my emotions to take me into the presence of God to see my suffering from His point of view? Am I venting my emotion to God or to others? Am I upholding Him as holy before those He has placed in my life?

Secondly, He was not concerned with outward appearance, or trying to hide His loud cries and tears. To see this suffering from God's point of view, He would have to forget about the physical realm and its social conventions and go to a place where all pain is emptied in blatant honesty. Could it be that to have God be in control in the spiritual realm, I would have to be out-of-control in the physical realm? Am I too concerned about looking like I am in control? Am I more concerned with my outward appearance and not the true, gut-wrenching pain of my heart? Am I holding on so tightly to my hurt that I won't give it to God?

Thirdly, He took His pain and prayer to God, to the One who could actually do something about it. Was Jesus necessarily asking God to change the plan, or was He asking that His mind be made one with the mind of God about the plan? Certainly, doing the will of God while enduring the hard times is not an easy road to follow. So likewise, I need to take my heart's pain to God because all the plans for my life are His plans, plans for pain and plans for pleasure, plans for suffering and plans for blessing. God is the sovereign planner! Is God the first person I run to when times are hard? Do I seek solutions to my problems in other ways before coming to God in prayer? Am I asking God to make my heart one with His heart?

Finally, even though the emotion was strong and the pain overwhelming, Jesus was reverent when He talked to His Father. When I cry out, am I reverent? To me, reverence implies a willingness to accept the will of God even though the pain was intense. Jesus was declaring His dependence on God to make it through what God wanted Him to do. How do I ask God for help? Do I ask after I try and handle the situation on my own? Or am I taking the situation to the One who has the power to help me grow through the pain? Am I willing to give up what I perceive as the control of my life to let God have control? Do I rest in His will as the best plan for my life?

If I follow Jesus' example, then like Him, I can learn obedience. I can see that the lesson of obedience is not for the fainthearted, but it for those who know the One to cry out to in prayer, for those who know the One who is the source of enduring power, and for those who reverently accept the will of the Father.

Father,

I confess that many times I have held on to hurts and not given them to You. Teach me how to depend on You for strength and power to do whatever You want me to do. Thank You for Jesus, the One who gave His all so that I might live through His power.

In His most precious name,

Amen