Emotions Jesus never displayed

By Elizabeth Prata

Everyone is a victim these days. ‘Someone did this to me,’ or ‘Someone did that to me’. People use victimhood as a reason or cover for their poor actions. You would not believe how many Youtube police action videos where the person stopped for traffic violations uses PTSD as a reason they were speeding/weaving/eluding.

If someone is easily offended or had something minor happen to them, again the victimhood comes out. ‘You would not believe who cut in front of me at the grocery store!’ “I can’t get over that text she sent me!’ They milk their pity to anyone who would listen. I know people like that. I’m sure you do too.

Even if someone had a violent crime done to them or a legitimate complaint, some people tend to milk it and point to their emotional or physical wounds for far too long after or use it as a justification for things they shouldn’t.

You know who never pitied Himself? Jesus. We cannot imagine Him saying anything like, ‘When I was in the desert 40 days, all alone, that ole devil harassed me to no end! It was so aggravating!’

He never complained about the thousands of people who only followed Him for the freebies but quit Him when the freebies dried up.

He never pouted to the disciples that ‘After all I did for Judas, he betrayed me!’

I recently wrote about emotions that Jesus experienced. As the God-Man, He felt and displayed emotions. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35), is the shortest verse in the Bible but packs a punch. For example, in that scene, He is looking at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. He wept visibly.

Our Lord’s weeping reveals the humanity of the Saviour. He has entered into all of our experiences and knows how we feel. In fact, being the perfect God-Man, Jesus experienced these things in a deeper way than we do. His tears also assure us of His sympathy; He is indeed “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary.

Today we look at emotions Jesus never displayed.

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Jesus was empathetic toward others, ministering to the physical and spiritual pain they experienced.

Jesus suffered more than any person born on this earth then or now. His suffering on the cross was monumental and incomprehensible, yet He ministered to His own mother by ensuring she had a place to live and would be taken care of by John.

But none of Jesus’ emotions were never sinful. Evoking pity from others is a self-centered act, designed to bring attention and favor upon one’s self. Jesus is our model. He only sought the good and uplifting of the frail sheep. He sympathized with us in our weakness, ministered to physical and spiritual needs.

Self-pity is oft-putting. Sure, we can mourn for a bit, we can grieve for the wrong done to us, briefly. But don’t camp on it. And certainly don’t make it a lifestyle or a constant topic of conversation.

I learned this lesson in reverse when I lived on a sailboat for 2 years. We sailed from Maine to Florida, crossed the Gulf Stream, and continued down to the Tropics. Then came back up. We thought ourselves pretty good sailors, navigating without incident and arriving at Georgetown Bahamas. But you know what? Along the way we saw people in smaller boats doing the same thing. We saw a grandmother rowing! Then we saw a a couple in their kayaks! So, we dispensed with the smugness and private boasting, because firstly, people were accomplishing the same thing as us except in a more challenging way, and secondly, we are all enjoying the same sunset.

So in reverse-reverse, if I decide to pity myself, I know there are people out there who have experienced things that are worse, more chronic, more evil. Who am I to try and garner pity? My wounds feel bad to me, but are much lighter than others’. Let me minister to them.

Jesus Himself endured all, for us. Let me hand my wounds over to Him and go on with life with joy. Then I am better able to help others. I pray you are able to do the same.