The Real, Feeling Jesus

He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” – Matthew 26:37-38

If you were raised in the Roman Catholic Church, you may have seen images or statues of Jesus in agony on the cross. But if you were raised in a Protestant church—or no church at all—you may be more familiar with paintings of a very serene Jesus basking in a peaceful glow. So it may be hard for you to believe that this Jesus would ever have felt anger or sadness or dread. But he did.

The picture of Jesus we glean from the Gospels is of a man who was fully divine but also fully human. That means he felt what we feel. He was in anguish in the garden of Gethsemane. He was enraged that retailers outside the Temple were ripping people off. He wept when his friend died.

As you begin to become alive to your feelings, let the real Jesus be your guide.

Ask Yourself
When you were younger, whether or not you attended church, did you imagine Jesus as a man with feelings?

How does understanding that the real Jesus had feelings change your attitude toward your own emotions?

Ask God
Jesus, I thank you that you know what my life is like. As I picture your face—full of grief and joy and sorrow and elation—help me to become fully human, as you intended, by helping me learn to feel.