If pain is part of the healing process, and we are all a work in process, some may be healing right now better than others. Personally, I don't like to do pain, so when faced with having my right knee drained yesterday, I looked for anyway out. At this point a voluntary procedure, I was still hoping Mario, the PA would say it wasn't necessary. But it was, so he did it. Now I can't figure out, how in this day of miracle drugs and amazing procedures they can't make this process painless-or at least less painful. You see, I don't react to Novocain, or lytocaine. My dentist always introduces me to her employees that I'm the guy who took seven shots to get numb. And telling this to Mario, he gave me a double, with no results. Always buy the first round-the crowd never gets smaller.
Now if you ever have had a knee drained, you know-it HURTS! As the needle-14 gauge- sucks out the synovial fluid, it has to go into the knee joint, so it is hitting the bones-I can still feel it a day later where it hit. But it was a success, so I guess it was worth it-I picked up 30 degrees of knee movement immediately. So maybe the pain of the process is worth it for the purification. It is always easier to look back than look ahead. At least when it involves pain.
And it made me realize what a wuss I am. But also what extreme physical pain Jesus endured on the cross. Crucifixion was a harsh, tortuous, painful, and slow death perfected by the Romans. The medallions around your neck no way can express what he went through. To start with, the nine inch nails were purposely put through nerve ganglia in the wrist-lower hand-so that the pain would be excruciating-and burning. The single nail nailing the legs to the cross went through similar joints. But mercifully, He was given a little seat to rest on, so that the process would not rip your body apart. But in fact it only prolonged the misery, as He had to lift His body up so as not to suffocate-this all put pressure on the diaphragm, making breathing hard, and them impossible, as you finally passed out from the pain. Then you finally would suffocate. Death by asphyxiation.
And yet Jesus bore all this pain-voluntarily-so that He could take all our sin. It took pain to pay for pain-truly His pain was our gain! And it is interesting what Jesus died from. Unlike those who died on the cross, He died from a broken heart. A heart that was surrounded by a sac of water-a place where He stored up all the tears He had cried for us. Tears so close to His heart that is where he kept them. And when His heart was finally drained, the tears burst forth at the tip of a spear, one final outburst of love-giving new meaning to His advice to weep with those that weep. Heartbroken for those He loved-us. And for those tears He died.
And somehow my knee doesn't hurt so much after realizing what He did. And as I think of others in pain-physical, emotional, and spiritual, I realize He bore it all that afternoon, and I am well because of it. And all I have to do is repent-turn from my ways to His to accept it-and take full advantage of all He died for, so I can live.
Today you may have pain from surgery, or childbirth, or waiting for results of a biopsy/test. You may be heartbroken over a relationship gone bad, or wondering how you will take care of your family, since you are jobless. Let me point you to the cross. All these pains He took with Him when He died. They are buried, and like Him, we can be resurrected. And that is the choice I want-to be resurrected with Jesus. No grave, no hospital bed, no bill collector, no jail cell, no bad news can keep me from the love of God.
And it only took a 14 gauge needle in the knee to remind me. May your wake up call be less painless, but more rewarding. Can you in 25 words or less explain love? Try John 3:16, it says it better than I ever could. And Jesus shows it better than I ever can. I may walk with a limp, but my faith doesn't. Gimpy is better than wimpy. Jesus Christ-the toughest man I know.
Now that's love. With compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com