Look To Christ

For every high priest is taken from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since He also is subject to weakness.  Hebrews 5:1-2 NET

Jesus deals gently and only gently with all sinners who come to Him, repentant, surrendered, irrespective of their particular offence. 

He knows our sinfulness far more deeply than we do. Indeed, we are aware of just the tip of the iceberg of our depravity, even in our most searching moments of self-knowledge. His restraint simply flows from His holiness, His love for His people. 

Hebrews is not telling us that instead of scolding us, Jesus loves us. It’s telling us the kind of love He has: rather than dispensing grace to us from on high, He gets down with us, He puts His arm around us, He deals with us in the way that is just what we need. He corrects us, Holy Spirit pours wisdom, not condemnation but rather redemption.

Look to Christ. As long as we fix our attention on our sin, we will fail to see Jesus in the horizon, Looking inside ourselves, we can anticipate only harshness.  Looking out to Christ, we can expect only gentleness.