One who Sympathizes With Our Weaknesses

One very late and stressful night of study during seminary, I hurled my Greek textbook at my bedroom wall. Multiple pages were ripped in half because of the way I grabbed the book to throw it. It had been a long and trying day. Nothing seemed to click and many things, including a lack of sleep and multiple deadlines, had me on edge. I then sighed and picked up my book, frustrated with myself for losing my cool and for having torn up the expensive text. I slowly taped all the broken pages back together and resumed the work of translating the Greek text of Hebrews 4. That taped-up textbook still sits on my shelf reminding me regularly of that moment of weakness.

It just so happened that at the moment I lost it, I was struggling with verse 15 of chapter 4: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” As I restarted my translation, I realized the word I was stuck on sympatheō– “to sympathize.” At that moment, I believe the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and heart to deeply hear, understand, and believe the passage. Jesus sympathized not just with my general weaknesses, but with my immediate weaknesses of that very moment.

Now, every time I read Hebrews 4, I am reminded with profound warmth and gratitude of that evening when the Lord ministered to me in my weakness. Every time I find myself in moments of heavy frustration and weakness, I try to remember these comforting words: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness…”

All of us struggle with stress, sin, anxiety, physical weaknesses, mental weaknesses, spiritual weaknesses, horrible days, etc. Perhaps you might consider memorizing Hebrews 4:15 so that in especially weak moments, the Holy Spirit might remind you that your Lord and your God sympathizes with your weaknesses. Because of his sympathy and love for you and me, we can join our voices with the author of Hebrews in verse 16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

John Laffoon
Deacon
Minister to Youth & Families