a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:3-4 ESV
While no one knows for sure when Jesus became aware of the horrible fate awaiting him on Easter weekend, I believe early in his ministry he knew that he was destined for short life with a painful death. Surely he knew of this passage from Isaiah. Even if he did not have a vision of the crucifixion, Isaiah 53 makes it abundantly clear life on earth was not going to be a picnic. If Nazareth High had had a yearbook, Jesus' senior picture would have been labeled "Most Likely to be Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted".
Yet nowhere in scripture do we seen even a hint of him complaining or feeling sorry for himself. No "woe is me" sermons appear in the Gospels. I can't locate any scripture that even hints at depression or self-pity. In fact the opposite appears to be true. Christ attended weddings. He shared meals with those around him. He ministered to others. He encouraged.
Jesus shared little of his fate with his followers, even with those closest to him until his final weeks on earth. Then it only done so in an effort to prepare them for his departure, not to elicit sympathy. There were times he spoke of going ahead of them, preparing mansions, and a departure, but not beatings, abandonment, and murder.
It is important that we have one or two close confidants who we can call up when we need a sympathetic ear or some advice. But that circle needs to be a small, private, and confidential. Facebook is not a forum for the problems besetting us. Twitter announcements of failed marriages, cancerous tumors, or wayward children strike me as very unChrist-like. When we have a bad day at work, don't tote around a black cloud. Health problems will afflict many of us throughout our lives. How much greater our witness if we take our concerns to God in the prayer closet than laying them out in the break room for all to hear. People are drawn to joy. They respond to positive.
When Affliction visits our lives will we follow Christ's example or Eeyore's?
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