The fraility of Jesus

I have been swamped, but I've had this blog in my heart since 11/24. That's the day that this genius placed his laptop on top of his van, in order to load the kids, and then forgot to retrieve it before taking off. Not but a few hundred yards later, I heard a sickening crash. My wife was driving and she probably saved my life by refusing to stop and let me out in the midst of traffic on Vista Chino (a major road in Palm Springs). When we finally got the computer back it was smashed, of course, though we were spared the further indignity of having additional cars run over it.

My term paper, research notes, all of my sermons, everything I had worked on for the last four months (dating back to when I purchased the computer) was on the computer and not backed up. I was devastated beyond belief that in the final two weeks of the semester I would have to do everything again. I instantly craved a rewind button for life. But, of course, there is no such thing. To make a long story short, Best Buy's "Geek Squad" was able to save the hard drive. It didn't take the sting out of losing 1,200 dollars, but it did erase the despair I was feeling hours before I got the good news from Best Buy.

A few things were learned in this experience besides the obvious lesson of not placing objects on top of your van. First of all, I had overwhelming urge to yell at God when it first happened. "How could you let that happen God?!" The imagined reply was something like, "Excuse me. Did I place your computer on top of your van and drive off with it still sitting there." It is amazing how many times we like to blame God for that which is our fault. We humans balk at accepting responsibility for our actions, and the all-powerful divine is an awful convenient target to deflect the blame. Obviously, I quickly realized that God could not be blamed for my absent-mindedness (of which I am notorious for). I had no one to blame but myself. I could, however, turn to God in my need, and he was there for me.

Another thing I realized is that as upsetting as it was that I had done this, it was not some kind of moral failure. Rather, it is simply part of the human condition to have moments of frailty and ineptitude that has nothing to do with sin or moral choice. It just comes with being human. It is humbling and reminds us of our frailty.

I really started thinking about Jesus and how part of being human was to subject himself to this same frailty. It is part of the humbling process of God becoming man. Jesus never sinned, but did he put on a fourth leg to a table that was too short? Did he ever smash his head, because he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing? Did Jesus ever run the donkey pulled cart into the mud and get stuck? Was Jesus really human? If he was, he made these kind of errors. This brought great comfort to me in my moment of frailty. I knew that God understood what it meant to be human in every way, and could comfort me in my distress.

As you reflect on the birth of Christ, remember he really became one of us. He was subjected to all the frailties of being human. Jesus was not mistake free. You cannot be human in not make mistakes. I emphasize that I am not talking about moral failures (i.e. sin). Jesus was tempted in every way as us, though he never sinned. Yet it doesn't mean he never hit his thumb with a hammer. On November the 24th, I was glad to know that.