He understands

Kindness is simply understanding that we all struggle. We are all broken down, weary, worn, and burdened 

So to think about kindness, we must think about the most humble and understanding moments during our times of struggle. Think about the ones who were there during those moments. Think about the days of struggle and the ones that stuck around just to listen. That’s kindness - simply understanding that not one person is neither above nor below us. We are all in need of kindness, but we can not forget about the biggest act of kindness. The Life of Jesus Christ. 

Throughout my walk with Jesus I have always thought of Jesus as a man who lived a perfect life as in no pain, no hurt, no weariness nor temptation; however, I was wrong. The true story of Jesus provides us the perfect example of kindness. God putting on skin, coming down to our earth in order to experience the pain, hurt, and weariness of this sin bound earth. 

Throughout this blog I just want to show a few examples of Jesus exemplifying kindness through understanding of the many emotions we feel during our time on earth. 

One of my favorite moments to read over and over again during times of sadness and sorrow is the story of Lazarus. One of Jesus’s dearest friends, Lazarus, laid ill for days while his loved ones waited for Jesus to heal him. However, after Jesus heard the news of Lazarus’ passing He began to go and see His dear friend. Once Jesus saw his dear friend’s body lying dead in the tomb Jesus then began to weep. The Bible states "Jesus wept." (John 11:35). This is actually the shortest verse in the Bible, but I believe one of the most powerful, simply because just in two words we are able to see the Lord and the way He understands the grief that we as humans will experience. 

Another story that makes me feel overwhelmed by the kindness of the Lord and His understanding is the agony Jesus expresses in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. In Matthew 26, Jesus said to His disciples 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed to the Lord asking, “Why?!” In Luke 22:44 it even says that in His state of agony he began to pray more earnestly to the point where “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” However, the beauty in Jesus’s agony is the feeling of being seen. The Creator of this world was sent down not only to cleanse us of our sins but also to bridge the gap of understanding our pain as humans - by experiencing a kind of suffering none of us could ever imagine. 

The kindness of the Lord was shown by Jesus throughout His life and death. How amazing is it to know that we have a God who understands us. Who understands our pain and suffering. We are known and we are loved. 

-n0tbycayden