Did Jesus ever get sick?

So I have another head cold.  Maybe it’s a sinus infection.  I’m really not sure which it is, but either way my head is full of snot!  I have the typical symptoms: scratchy throat, runny nose, headaches, and small cough.  I’ve had this cold/infection on and off for the last 3 weeks.  About 2 weeks ago I went to the doctor and was prescribed Claritin, nasal mist and a round of antibiotics.  The symptoms seemed to go away for a couple of days but yesterday and today everything is back in full force.

Thinking about being sick made me think about this question, did Jesus ever get sick?  Did he ever have a cold, the flu, a sinus infection, food poisoning, etc.?  Hebrews 4:15 (NASB) says,

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” 

When Jesus entered the human realm he entered into a human body which can be plagued by injury, sickness, and temptation.  He entered a human body full of weaknesses.  The same weaknesses that you and I face on a daily basis including but not limited to sickness.  Jesus chooses to enter the human world so he would encounter sickness in the same way you and I get sick.  Being sick is only a footnote in God’s massive plan of salvation but nevertheless it shows the grace, humility and servant hood of Jesus Christ.

So how did Jesus handle his sickness?  Today with modern medicine we have Nyquil, Dayquil, Claritin, Tylenol, Advil, antihistamines, decongestants, and antibiotics.  All of these medicines lessen the effects and sometimes shorten the duration of infections.  Jesus is the 1st Century did not have access to these modern remedies.  I’m sure there were ancient remedies that might have alleviated Jesus, but I’m sure it’s nothing compared to modern medicine.  That being said, if and when Jesus did get a cold, he had it worse that I have it right now!  Tylenol didn’t take the edge off the headache.  He didn’t have the soft, lotion laced Kleenex to blow his nose.  He must have had it rough.  On top of all of that he handled sickness without sin.  Something as simple as a common cold makes me more irritable, have less patience, and just a bore to be around.  In those times of weakness, Jesus pressed on.  He didn’t stop loving.  He didn’t stop teaching/preaching.  Even though he was weak, he did not sin in His human weakness.  He continued on his mission to reconcile the world back to God. 

For us today the message is the same.  Satan and the world are going to do everything in their power to stop us from remaining in Christ and doing the will of the father.  We must follow Jesus and regardless of our weakness (sickness and all) do all things to glorify our Savior.  

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.   Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB)

Baseball is just a game

I know upfront that I’m going to upset some people with this post, but that’s not stopping me from writing what’s on my mind.  Today’s post is about the Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga and his near miss on a perfect game.  I get that it was a bad call by umpire Jim Joyce.  I watched the replay and yes Galarraga squeezed the ball and touch 1st base before the runner.  There is no question there; I get that.

What people need to accept that baseball is just a game.  The game is governed by umpires who happen to be human.  They call the game like they see it.  There are times when umpires make bad calls and others when they make good calls.  That is all part of the game.  It was part of the game last night with Galarraga just like it was part of the game for every man, women and child that has ever played a sport. 

The reason why everyone is all up in arms about this particular call is because it for Armando Galarraga it would be the perfect game.  Is that an awesome sporting achievement?  Yes!  Does it happen frequently?  Of course not.  But because a personal record was on the line this bad call gets significantly more press than other bad calls.  The bad doesn’t change the standings of who’s in first place or who won the World Series, but a record for a single individual. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe what Armando Galarraga did last night was amazing!  I understand the difficulty, the talent and skill involved with pitching a perfect game.  What I don’t understand is how most people don’t understand is that bad calls are part of the game.  When you step onto the diamond, you know there’s a chance that a bad call will be made.  Sometimes in your favor and other times for the opposing team.

Culture today finds itself enamored with titles, positions, awards, records, win streaks and just about anything else that says, “I’m better than you”.  We are all looking for something that sets us apart from the rest and to give us a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  The apostle Paul could have been a poster child for this type of thinking.  In Philippians 3:4-6 (NASB) says:

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:  circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Paul had the religious lifestyle down.  The perfect game.  No one could question his teaching, his position, his lineage, or his zeal.  But Paul encountered the real living Son of God, Jesus Christ.  That encounter forever change him and how he viewed his achievements.

Philippians 3:7-11 (NASB) 

“ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;  in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Nothing had more importance in life than knowing Christ for the apostle Paul.  NOTHING!  In the end all the titles, achievements, and records books didn’t matter.   Paul used the word rubbish to describe his past achievements.  Some scholars have went so far to that the word used for rubbish would be better translated as “crap”. All the stuff the world puts value on (including sporting achievements) were all rubbish or “crap”.   Paul was basically saying, “In the grand scheme of knowing CHRIST it really doesn’t matter.”