No Pain Relief For Him 7/16/2024

 Good Morning,

Last night a few storms came through our part of the world and the thunder and lightning made it interesting for an hour or so. I am enjoying my cup of Door County Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend Coffee and it is time to write. 

Philippians 2:5-8 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6. who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7. But emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant , being born in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in human form, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even on a cross. 

We were given plenty of warnings informing us that storms would be reaching us and what time we could expect them to arrive. The weather meteorologists  were spot on last night. The forecast allowed for me to get outside yesterday and mow our lawn and clean up the yard. 

While performing the yard chores I had to maneuver the tractor around a bush that has very long and pointed thorns. In doing so I managed to get stuck by one of the thorns in my right hand. That thing was sharp and it gave me a long poke. Now I was not mortally wounded, but the incident did make me think for a few minutes. If one of these things felt like that, I can't imagine what the crown of thorns felt like that Jesus experienced. Later last night I reached for something and I winced a little. After examining my hand I found that a small piece of the thorn remained in my hand and had already started to fester. 

After a little prodding with a sterile needle the piece of thorn was removed, the puncture hole cleaned, and some antiseptic was sprayed on the site, there was no longer any pain and this morning you can barely tell where the little hole was. 

Once again this made me think as to how a crown of thorns had to feel. I wondered if some of them broke off in the skin of Jesus. There wasn't any pain relief given to Him and the blood loss from the head wounds had to be plain old terrible. 

I continued my thoughts on the crown of thorns and how humiliating they had to be, as well as what a symbol of love they are. For the King left heaven and exchanged His royal crown for a crown of thorns, pain, and blood. 

It's funny how a chore, one thorn, a little blood, and a little pain can teach me a lesson that I will not soon forget.  Many years ago that crown of thorns was placed on the head of the One who loved us enough to let that crown pierce His head. 

It is humbling what a chore can teach you. 

Marty