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)

Little Dogs Make Your Run Faster

Every spring I make a commitment to start running. This year I found a new running path up Bell Rd and into a neighborhood called Cedarbrook .  Cedarbook is your average neighborhood, not too nice but not great either.  The run is easy for me because it’s close enough to my house that I don’t have to get in the car.

Here’s the thing about Cedarbook, there’s about two or three houses that have little dogs.  They all are some type of chihuahua, beagle, or other little dog mix.  The problem is that they are not chained up or inside a fence.  So when I come running, all the sudden I hear the yelping of a little dog barking at my heels.  Several things run through my mind, should I run faster and out run the dog?  Should I turn around and chase the dog back to its house.  I always wonder how I would react if one of the dogs actually bit me on the ankle.  What would I do to the dog then?  Yup, I’ll admit at that point I have thoughts of kicking the dog.  In the end, I pick up my pace just slightly, step a little higher and keep moving forward.  After about two houses the dog realizes that he’s out of his master’s territory and leaves me alone.  O the joys of running.

I believe that running has parallels with life.  3 times the apostle Paul writes about the Christian life is like running a race (1 Cor. 9:24; Gal. 2:2; Gal. 5:7).  The writer of Hebrews also says something about running, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).    I see the little dogs barking at our heals similar to “the sin that so easily entangles”.  The little dogs are just a distraction.  They are just trying to get us off course and to lose our focus on the race before us.  If we give into the fear of the little dogs, we change course, change our pace, and if they give them too much control they keep us from running completely.

So the question for today is what little dogs are barking at your heals?  Where is Satan trying to tempt you?  Where is the evil one trying to distract you and get you of course as you follow Christ in the race of life?  In the end keep on running!