On the Humanity of Christ

Holy week brings us face to face with the humanity of Christ. It encourages us and gives us hope. I wonder what is going on in the mind of Jesus during these last days of his life on earth. As a divine person I am sure Christ knew among his friends the one who would betray him and the one who will deny him. He knew the apostles who will run away from him and those who will stand by him if any would. He also knew that the source of his strength came from his Father in Heaven. But as human person, I am sure, the experience was different for the son of David as it would be for any human being. It is in the humanity of Christ that he felt what we human beings feel. You can say that Christ was most vulnerable in his humanity.

As human being, Christ was hungry, he got tired, he was weak, and he needed love, companionship, affection and compassion. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, his friend. He appealed to his friends, Peter, James and John to keep watch with him for at least an hour. This was his need for companionship. He prayed to his Father to take the cup away from him. He did not however, pray for his will but His father’s will to be done. This is the unwillingness in the part of us human beings to accept to suffer. We shy and run away from suffering. When Mary brought costly aromatic nard and anointed his feet and wiped them with her hair, Judas protested. “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?’ (John 12:5). Christ did not stop Mary; he said instead, “leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me”, John 12:7. This was Christ need for care, for love, for consolation and for solace. To know that Christ felt what I feel, my need for love, care and companionship is a huge consolation for me. This is the source of my hope. If Christ understands how I feel then He will readily extend a helping hand to me when I call on him for help. This then makes this period the best period in the Church and in my life too. Christ’s resurrection is a source of great hope for me. His resurrection is truly my salvation. Yes, by Christ’s resurrection is our hope, may the divinity of Christ redeem my humanity and raise it up to salvation.