THÖÔÏNG ÑEÁ DÖÔÙI AÙP LÖÏC / GOD UNDER PRESSURE (SGTY 07-02)

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} Moät ngaøy trong cuoäc ñôøi Ñaáng Christ. Cöù goïi ñoù laø moät taám thaûm roái loaïn, moät taïp aûnh oàn aøo, trong ñoù nhöõng sôïi chæ vaøng cuûa chieán thaéng ñan laån vôùi nhöõng sôïi chæ ñen taû tôi cuûa bi kòch. Cöù goïi ñoù laø moät taáu khuùc tình caûm, moät buoåi hoøa nhaïc töø raïng-ñoâng-ñeán-hoaøng-hoân cuûa tuyeät ñieåm. Moät phaàn nhaïc phoå vang ñieäu haân hoan, phaàn keá tieáp thôû than bi luïy. Treân moät trang, toaøn ban troåi ñieäu toân thôø, trang keá tieáp Chuùa Jesus ñoäc dieãn coâ ñôn vuõ khuùc. Duø Baïn goïi theá naøo, thì neân cho ñoù laø thaät. Haõy goïi ñoù laø moät ngaøy Chuùa Jesus töøng traûi nhieàu aùp löïc hôn baát cöù ngaøy naøo khaùc trong ñôøi Ngaøi – khoâng keå thaäp töï hình. Tröôùc khi bình minh trôû thaønh hoaøng hoân, Ngaøi coù lyù do ñeå khoùc... chaïy nhaûy... hoø heùt... nguyeàn ruûa... toân vinh... nghi ngôø. Töø thanh tònh ñeán hoãn mang. Töø bình an ñeán roái loaïn. Trong choác laùt, theá giôùi cuûa Ngaøi bò ñaûo loän. Duø vaäy, trong taám thaûm theâu, coù moät sôïi chæ loùng laùnh. Trong taáu khuùc, coù moät ñoaûn ca cao vôøi. Trong caâu chuyeän, coù moät baøi hoïc an uûi. Tröôùc kia Baïn coù nghe ñieàu naày, nhöng coù theå baïn ñaõ queân. Haõy nhìn thaät gaàn, Haõy chuù yù nghe. Neân nhôù raèng: Chuùa Jesus bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. Neáu Baïn töøng coù moät ngaøy, trong ñoù Baïn bò taán coâng chôùp nhoaùng bôûi nhöõng ñoøi hoûi, neáu Baïn ñaõ töøng traûi nhöõng thaêng traàm u buoàn vaø hoan hæ, neáu Baïn hoang mang Thöôïng Ñeá treân trôøi coù quan taâm ñeán Baïn döôùi ñaát chaêng, thì neân ñoïc ñi ñoïc laïi veà caùi ngaøy-ñaày-aùp-löïc naày trong cuoäc ñôøi Ñaáng Christ. Haõy yeân taâm. Chuùa Jesus bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. * * * Ngaøi baét ñaàu buoåi saùng vôùi hung tin veà caùi cheát cuûa John the Baptist: ngöôøi anh em hoï, ngöôøi môû ñöôøng, ngöôøi ñoàng coâng, baïn cuûa Ngaøi. Moät ngöôøi töøng ñeán thaät gaàn ñeå hieåu Chuùa Jesus hôn baát cöù ai khaùc, ñaõ cheát. Haõy töôûng töôïng maát ñi moät ngöôøi bieát Baïn hôn baát cöù ai khaùc, thì Baïn seõ caûm thaáy ñieàu Chuùa Jesus caûm thaáy. Haõy suy gaãm veà noåi kinh hoaøng khi nghe tin ngöôøi baïn thaân nhaát cuûa Baïn vöøa bò saùt haïi, thì Baïn seõ caûm thoâng noåi buoàn cuûa Chuùa Jesus. Haõy nghó ñeán phaûn öùng cuûa Baïn khi Baïn nghe tin ngöôøi baïn thaân nhaát ñôøi Baïn vöøa bò chaët ñaàu bôûi moät hoân quaân daâm loaïn ñeå thoûa loøng ngöôøi ñeïp, roài Baïn seõ thaáy ngaøy ñoù baét ñaàu nhö theá naøo ñoái vôùi Chuùa Jesus. Theá giôùi cuûa Ngaøi baét ñaàu ñaûo ngöôïc. Duø vaäy, nhöõng keû thaùm baùo ñem laïi nhöõng hung tin coøn hôn ñau buoàn, hoï mang lôøi caûnh caùo: “Herod ngöôøi ñaõ laáy ñaàu John cuõng quan taâm ñeán Ngaøi.” Haõy nghe Luke trình baøy veà côn cuoàng thònh cuûa vua: “Herod noùi: ‘Ta ñaõ chaët ñaàu John. Vaäy, ngöôøi naày laø ai maø ta nghe nhöõng ñieàu nhö theá?’ Vaø OÂng coá tìm caùch gaëp Ngaøi.” Toâi nghó raèng Herod muoán laøm moät ñieàu gì hôn laø moät cuoäc thaêm vieáng xaõ giao. Vaäy, vôùi caùi cheát cuûa John vaø maïng soáng cuûa rieâng Ngaøi bò haêm doïa, Chuùa Jesus choïn caùch laùnh maët moät thôøi gian. “Khi Chuùa Jesus nghe söï vieäc ñaõ xaûy ra, Ngaøi leân thuyeàn lui veà moät nôi aån daät.” Nhöng, tröôùc khi Ngaøi coù theå laån traùnh, caùc moân ñoà cuûa Ngaøi ñeán. Saùch Phuùc aâm Mark cheùp raèng: “caùc Söù doà vaây quanh Ngaøi vaø phuùc trình vôùi Ngaøi taát caû nhöõng vieäc hoï ñaõ laøm vaø giaûng daïy.” Hoï trôû veà hôùn hôû. Chuùa Jesus uûy nhieäm cho hoï rao truyeàn Phuùc aâm vaø minh chöùng baèng nhöõng pheùp laï. “Hoï ra ñi vaø giaûng daïy raèng moïi ngöôøi phaûi thoáng hoái. Hoï ñuoåi quûi vaø xöùc daàu cho nhöõng ngöôøi bònh, vaø chöõa laønh cho hoï.” Baïn coù theå töôûng töôïng söï phaán khôûi chaêng? Baïn coù theå hình dung quang caûnh chaêng? Moät buoåi ñoaøn tuï cuûa 12 ngöôøi baïn. Moät cuoäc nhoùm laïi cuûa caùc moân ñoà vôùi vò thaày cuûa hoï. Moät chuyeán trôû veà hoïp maët vôùi nhöõng lôøi chöùng: . Peter moâ taû moät ngöôøi baïi lieät ñöôïc chöõa laønh. . John keå chuyeän veà moät ñaùm ñoâng maø OÂng giaûng daïy. . Andrew keå laïi OÂng giaûi phoùng moät ngöôøi bò ñoäng kinh. . James trình vôùi Chuùa veà nhöõng ñaùm ñoâng ñi theo OÂng baát cöù nôi naøo. . Matthew töôøng trình veà söï chöõa laønh moät ngöôøi ñaøn baø muø. Neân nhôù, caùc moân ñoà naày laø nhöõng ngöôøi taàm thöôøng. Hoï khoâng phaûi nhöõng nhaø huøng bieän, hoïc giaû, vua chuùa hay thaùnh thaàn. Hoï laø nhöõng ngö phuû, lao coâng, ngöôøi thu thueá, nhôø quyeàn löïc Thöôïng Ñeá, baèng gioâng toá hoï ñaõ chieám höõu moät daân toäc. Caûm xuùc? Vui möøng. Chæ trong choác laùt, loøng Chuùa Jesus ñi töø nhòp böôùc nhaïc tang, ñeán khuùc quaân haønh chieán thaéng. Vaø haõy xem nhöõng ai ñi theo caùc moân ñoà ñeå gaëp ñöôïc Chuùa Jesus. Khoaûng 5.000 ngöôøi nam, theâm nhöõng ngöôøi ñaøn baø vaø con caùi! Nhöõng doøng soâng con ngöôøi cuoàn cuoän chaûy töø caùc nuùi ñoài vaø thoân aáp. Moät soá hoïc giaû öôùc tính ñaùm ñoâng phaûi leân tôùi 25 ngaøn. Hoï bu quanh Chuùa Jesus, moãi ngöôøi vôùi moät öôùc voïng: gaëp ñöôïc Con Ngöôøi ñaõ ban quyeàn löïc cho caùc moân ñoà. Buoåi saùng bình laëng ñeán theá, baây giôø laïiø raàm roä naùo nhieät. “Quaù nhieàu ngöôøi ñeán vaø ñi ñeán ñoä hoï khoâng coù dòp aên uoáng.” Toâi töøng bò nhieàu ngöôøi ñoøi hoûi söï quan taâm cuûa toâi. Nhöng 25 ngaøn ngöôøi? Moät con soá lôùn hôn nhieàu thò xaõ! Khoâng laï taïi sao caùc moân ñoà khoâng theå aên uoáng. Khoâng hieåu sao hoï coøn thôû ñöôïc! * * * Buoåi saùng laø moät ñöôøng moøn trong röøng raäm cho ngöôøi laïc loái. Tröôùc nhaát, Chuùa Jesus ñau buoàn treân caùi cheát cuûa moät baïn thaân vaø quyeán thuoäc. Roài söï soáng cuûa Ngaøi bò haêm doïa. Tieáp ñeán Ngaøi lieân hoan söï trôû laïi ñaéc thaéng cuûa caùc moân ñoà. Sau ñoù, Ngaøi gaàn ngoäp thôû vôùi moät röøng ngöôøi hoãn taïp. Ñau buoàn... Hieåm hoïa... hoan hæ... Huyeân naùo... Baïn coù thaáy taïi sao toâi goïi ñaây laø ngaøy thöù nhì caêng thaúng nhaát trong cuoäc ñôøi Ñaáng Christ? Vaø coøn laâu môùi chaám döùt. Chuùa Jesus quyeát ñònh ñem caùc moân ñoà ñeán moät nôi thanh tònh, ôû ñoù hoï coù theå nghæ ngôi vaø suy tö. Ngaøi hoâ to moät leänh truyeàn qua ñaùm ñoâng oàn aøo: “Rieâng caùc ngöôi haõy ñi vôùi Ta ñeán moät nôi thanh tònh ñeå nghæ ngôi.” Möôøi ba ngöôøi len loûi ñi ra bôø bieån, roâiø leân moät chieác thuyeàn. Vaø, trong nhöõng giaây phuùt quùi baùu, theá gian trôû laïi yeân laëng. Tieáng naùo ñoäng cuûa ñaùm ñoâng xa daàn, vaø chæ coøn tieáng soùng voã maïn thuyeàn. Tim Chuùa Jesus naëng træu ñau buoàn laãn traøn ngaäp nieàm vui. Ngaøi chaêm nhìn caùc moân ñoà hoà hôûi vôùi nhöõng caâu chuyeän ñaéc thaéng. Roài Ngaøi ngöôùc maét leân vaø nhìn veà chaân trôøi Tiberias, thò traán ñöôïc xaây caát bôûi Herod, ngöôøi ñaõ saùt haïi John the Baptist. Nieàm vui baát chôït pha troän caêm hôøn, khieán cho hai naém tay Ngaøi xieát laïi vaø ñoâi maét Ngaøi ñaãm öôùt. Ai coù theå gaïn hoûi, sao Ngaøi muoán xa laùnh daân chuùng? Ngaøi chæ caàn moät vaøi giôø rieâng tö. Chæ moät taïm nghæ. Chæ moät aãn daät. Moät thôøi caàu nguyeän. Moät thôøi suy tö. Moät thôøi ñeå khoùc. Moät thôøi khoâng coù nhöõng ñaùm ñoâng hay nhöõng ñoøi hoûi. Moät nhoùm löûa quaây quaàn giöõa baïn beø. Moät buoåi chieàu vôùi nhöõng ngöôøi Ngaøi yeâu. Daân chuùng coù theå chôø ñeán ngaøy mai. Duø vaäy, daân chuùng coù nhöõng yù kieán khaùc. “Caùc ñaùm ñoâng bieát ñöôïc vieäc ñoù, neân ñi theo Ngaøi.” Khoaûng 6 daäm ñöôøng boäâ voøng theo goùc ñoâng baéc Bieån Galilee. Vaäy ñaùm ñoâng luõ löôït leân ñöôøng. Khi Chuùa Jesus ñeán Bethsaida, öôùc voïng aãn daät cuûa Ngaøi trôû thaønh moät ñaáu tröôøng oà aït. “Baát ngôø chaêng?” Haõy theâm chöõ giaùn ñoaïn vaøo danh saùch ñau buoàn, hieåm hoïa, phaán khôûi, huyeân naùo. Caùc döï ñònh cuûa Chuùa Jesus bò giaùn ñoïan. Ñieàu maø Ngaøi ñaõ coù trong trí cho ngaøy ñoù, vaø ñieàu maø ngöôøi ta coù trong trí cho ngaøy ñoù, laø hai chöông trình khaùc nhau. Ñieàu maø Chuùa Jesus tìm kieám vaø ñieàu maø Chuùa Jesus nhaän ñöôïc khoâng cuøng moät thöù. Nghe nhö quen thuoäc, phaûi khoâng? Haõy nhôù, khi Baïn tìm moät ñeâm nghæ ngôi, thì Baïn nghe tieáng treû con keâu ñau buïng. Haõy nhôù, khi Baïn muoán hoaøn taát ñoáng giaáy tôø vaên phoøng, thì Baïn caøng chaäm treå. Haõy nhôù, khi Baïn chôø ñeán ngaøy Thöù Baûy ñeå giaûi trí, thì Baïn chaám döùt baèng caùi chaäu röûa maët cuûa nhaø keá beân nhôø söûa giuøm. Baïn ôi, cöù yeân taâm. Ñieàu ñoù cuõng xaûy ñeán vôùi Chuùa Jesus. Thaät vaäy, ñaây laø thôøi ñieåm toát ñeå taïm ngöøng vaø nghieàn ngaãm söù ñieäp troïng taâm cuûa chöông naày. Chuùa Jesus bieát baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. Haõy suy nghó ñieàu naày vaø duøng noù cho kyø tôùi khi theá giôùi cuûa baïn ñi töø bình thaûn ñeán naùo loaïn. Maïch maùu Ngaøi ñua chaïy. Ñoâi maét Ngaøi moøn moõi. Tim Ngaøi træu naëng. Ngaøi ñaõ boø ra khoûi chieác giöôøng vôùi coå hoïng khoâ khan. Ngaøi ñaõ phaûi thöùc khuya vaø daäy sôùm. Ngaøi bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. Baïn coù theå khoù tin veà ñieàu ñoù. Coù theå Baïn tin raèng Chuùa Jesus bieát yù nghóa cuûa söï chòu ñöïng nhöõng thaûm traïng naëng neà. Baïn khoâng coù gì ñeå nghi ngôø raèng Chuùa Jesus quaù quen vôùi caûnh ñau buoàn vaø vaät loän vôùi noåi lo sôï. Haàu heát moïi ngöôøi coâng nhaän ñieàu ñoù. Nhöng Thöôïng Ñeá coù theå quan taâm ñeán nhöõng phaán ñaáu vaø nhöõng ñieàu nhöùc oùc trong ñôøi toâi chaêng? Trong ñôøi Baïn chaêng? Bôûi moät soá lyù do naøo ñoù, ñieàu naày khoù theå tin. Coù leû ñaây laø nguyeân nhaân cuûa moät soá caâu chuyeän trong ngaøy naày ñöôïc cheùp trong heát thaûy caùc saùch Phuùc aâm. Khoâng bieán coá naøo khaùc - khaùc hôn Thaäp töï hình, ñöôïc taát caû boán kyù thuaät gia Phuùc aâm keå laïi. Khoâng phaûi pheùp traàm mình cuûa Chuùa Jesus. Khoâng phaûi söï caùm doã Ngaøi. Cuõng khoâng phaûi söï giaùng sanh cuûa Ngaøi. Nhöng taát caû boán kyù thuaät gia ñeàu cheùp laïi ngaøy naày. Nhö theå Matthew, Mark, Luke vaø John bieát raèng Baïn seõ laï luøng khi Thöôïng Ñeá hieåu ñöôïc. Neân boán Söù ñoà ñeàu coâng boá söï ñaùp öùng cuûa mình trong taát caû boán saùch Phuùc aâm hoøa hôïp: Chuùa Jesus bieát baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. Môùi ñaây, moät ngöôøi baïn cuûa toâi coá daïy ñöùa con trai 6 tuoåi cuûa Anh caùch neùm boùng roå. Thaèng beù caàm traùi banh vaø coá heát söùc mình ñeå phoùng tôùi muïc tieâu, nhöng luoân luoân neùm huït. Cha noù caàm traùi banh, neùm vaøo caùi roå, vaø noùi moät caâu: “Naày con, chæ laøm gioáng nhö theá naày. Deã laémø.” Sau ñoù, thaèng beù coá thöû, laïi huït. Roài ngöôøi baïn cuûa toâi laáy traùi banh, laïi neùm vaøo roå, vaø khuyeán khích con phaûi neùm traùi banh maïnh hôn. Sau nhieàu phuùt vaø nhieàu laàn huït, thaèng beù ñaùp laïi lôøi khuyeán khích cuûa boá: “Vaâng, nhöng deã cho Boá ôû treân ñoù. Boá khoâng bieát ôû döôùi naày khoù theá naøo.” Baïn vaø toâi khoâng theå noùi ñieàu ñoù ñoái vôùi Thöôïng Ñeá. Trong ngaøy ñoù, töø nhieàu söù ñieäp Chuùa Jesus ñaõ daïy chuùng ta veà söï caêng thaúng, ñieàu ñaàu tieân laø theá naày: “Thöôïng Ñeá bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo.” Haõy ñoïc baûn dòch cuûa J. B. Phillips trong Hebrew 4:15: “Bôûi chuùng ta khoâng coù Vò Thöôïng Teá sieâu nhaân. Ñoái vôùi Vò aáy, nhöõng yeáu ñuoái cuûa chuùng ta khoù theå toû töôøng – chính Ngaøi ñaõ troïn veïn chia seû heát thaûy töøng traûi caùm doã cuûa chuùng ta, ngoaïi tröø Ngaøi khoâng heà phaïm toäi.” Taùc giaû saùch Hebrews cöông quyeát ñeán ñoä gaàn nhö dö thöøa. Nhö theå OÂng tieân ñoaùn nhöõng choáng ñoái cuûa chuùng ta. Nhö theå OÂng bieát raèng chuùng ta seõ noùi vôùi Thöôïng Ñeá ñieàu maø ñöùa con trai cuûa baïn toâi ñaõ noùi vôùi Anh: “Thöa Thöôïng Ñeá, deã daøng cho Ngaøi ôû treân ñoù. Ngaøi khoâng bieát ôû döôùi naày khoù khaên theá naøo.” Vaäy neân OÂng maïnh meõ coâng boá veà khaû naêng thoâng hieåu cuûa Chuùa Jesus. Haõy xem laïi caùch duøng chöõ cuûa OÂng: “Chính Ngaøi” – Khoâng phaûi moät thieân söù. Khoâng phaûi moät söù giaû. Khoâng phaûi moät keû baùo tin, nhöng chính Chuùa Jesus. “Chia seû troïn veïn” – Khoâng phaûi töøng phaàn. Khoâng phaûi gaàn nhö. Khoâng phaûi tôùi moät möùc ñoä lôùn. Troïn veïn! Chuùa Jesus chia seû toaøn theå. “Trong heát thaûy nhöõng töøng traûi cuûa chuùng ta” – Moïi toån thöông. Moãi ñau ñôùn. Heát thaûy nhöõng caêng thaúng vaø heát thaûy nhöõng aùp löïc. Khoâng ngoaïi leä. Khoâng thay theá. Taïi sao? Haàu cho Ngaøi coù theå caûm thöông nhöõng yeáu ñuoái cuûa chuùng ta. Moät chaùnh trò gia ñoäi moät muû an toaøn vaø ñi vaøo trong xöôûng maùy, troâng OÂng gioáng nhö moät trong caùc coâng nhaân. Moät caùn söï xaõ hoäi ñi vaøo khu phoá ngheøo heøn vaø traûi qua moät ñeâm treân caùc ñöôøng phoá vôùi nhöõng ngöôøi voâ gia cö. Moät vò töôùng ñi vaøo phoøng aên vaø ngoài chung vôùi caùc binh só, troâng OÂng gioáng nhö ø moät trong caùc taân binh. Taát caû ba ngöôøi ñeàu muoán truyeàn ñaït cuøng moät söù ñieäp: “Toâi hoaø mình vôùi anh em. Toâi coù theå hieåu. Toâi coù theå lieân heä.” Duø vaäy, coù moät vaán ñeà. Nhöõng ngöôøi coâng nhaân trong xöôûng bieát raèng chieác muû an toaøn cuûa OÂng chính trò gia seõ loät xuoáng khi toaùn chuyeân vieân truyeàn hình rôøi khoûi ñoù. Nhöõng keû voâ gia cö bieát raèng toái mai ngöôøi caùn söï xaõ hoäi seõ nguû treân chieác giöôøng eâm aám. Vaø caùc binh só haún bieát raèng cöù moãi phaàn aên maø Vò Töôùng duøng chung vôùi hoï, OÂng seõ aên 10 laàn hôn trong nhaø aên só quan. Coá thöû nhö hoï, caùc chuyeân gia chính ñaùng naày thaät söï khoâng hieåu. Söï tham gia cuûa hoï chæ laø töøng phaàn. Duø vaäy, söï tham gia cuûa Chuùa Jesus laø troïn theå. Taùc giaû saùch Hebrews noùi quaù roõ raèng Chuùa Jesus “chia seû troïn veïn” trong heát thaûy nhöõng töøng traûi cuûa chuùng ta”. Moät laàn, moät chuû nhaø saùch ôû Northwest keå cho toâi nghe caâu chuyeän moät phuï nöõ noåi giaän, xoâng vaøo tieäm cuûa OÂng, mang theo moät quyeån saùch cuûa toâi, Thöôïng Ñeá Ñeán Gaàn. Baø ñaäp quyeån saùch treân quaày haøng, noùi moät vaøi ñieàu khoâng toát laém veà quyeån saùch, roài la heùt aàm leân ñuû cho moïi ngöôøi trong khu phoá ñeàu nghe: “Maët Thöôïng Ñeá cuûa toâi khoâng coù muïn!” Toâi bieát ñoaïn naøo ñaõ khai hoûa trong caùi baät löûa cuûa Baø. Ñoïan aáy vieát theá naày: “Coù theå maët Chuùa Jesus coù muïn. Coù theå Ngaøi laûng tai. Coù theå moät coâ gaùi ôû döôùi phoá ñaõ chen laán Ngaøi, hay ngöôïc laïi. Coù theå ñaàu goái cuûa Ngaøi xöông xaåu. Moät ñieàu chaéc chaén. Ngaøi laø, trong khi Ngaøi hoaøn toøan thaàn thaùnh, Ngaøi cuõng hoaøn toaøn con ngöôøi.” Toâi coù theå hieåu taïi sao Baø aáy trôû neân giaän döõ. Toâi coù theå caûm thoâng vôùi noåi böïc doïc cuûa Baøø. Chuùng ta nhanh choùng haøn gaén moät raïn nöùt treân taám kính raùp maøu (trong thaùnh ñuôøng). Chuùng ta lau saïch baát cöù veát baån naøo treân baøn thôø. Coù ñieàu naøo ñoù an toaøn cho moät Thöôïng Ñeá chöa heà mang daáu chai. Coù ñieàu naøo ñoù ñaùng sôï cho moät Thöôïng Ñeá chöa heà ñau ñôùn. Coù ñieàu naøo ñoù uy nghieâm cho moät Thöôïng Ñeá chöa heà ngöùa ngaùy khuyûu tay. Nhöng cuõng coù ñieàu naøo ñoù laïnh luøng cho moät Thöôïng Ñeá khoâng theå caûm thoâng vôùi ñieàu maø Baïn vaø toâi caûm thaáy. Neáu toâi coù maáy phuùt vôùi ngöôøi phuï nöõ ñoù, toâi seõ hoûi Baø : “Maët Chuùa Jesus khoâng theå coù muïn, song Baø hy voïng Ngaøi coù theå coù chaêng?” Moïi trang Phuùc aâm ñeàu baøy toû cho moïi gia ñình bieát nguyeân lyù quan troïng naày: Thöôïng Ñeá bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. Töø ñaùm tang ñeán xöôûng cheá taïo, ñeán söï hoang mang trong ñoøi hoûi cuûa moät chöông trình. Chuùa Jesus thaáu hieåu. Khi Baïn thöa vôùi Ngaøi raèng Baïn ñaõ tôùi möùc giôùi haïn, Ngaøi bieát Baïn muoán gì. Khi Baïn laéc ñaàu baát naêng vôùi kyø haïn choùt, thì Ngaøi cuõng laéc ñaàu. Khi caùc chöông trình cuûa Baïn bò giaùn ñoïan bôûi nhöõng ngöôøi coù caùc chöông trình khaùc, thì Ngaøi gaät ñaàu thöông caûm. Ngaøi ñaõ ôû ñoù. Ngaøi bieát Baïn caûm thaáy theá naøo. * * * Ngaøy 15 thaùng Hai naêm 1921. Thaønh phoá New York. Phoøng phaãu thuaät cuûa Beänh vieän Kane Summit. Moät Baùc só ñang thöïc hieän cuoäc giaûi phaãu ruoät thöøa. Trong nhieàu caùch, nhöõng dieãn tieán daãn ñeán cuoäc giaûi phaãu thöôøng khoâng coù gì ñaùng chuù yù. Beänh nhaân than phieàn ñau ñùôùn nhieàu trong buïng. Cuoäc chaån ñoaùn roõ raøng: moät phaàn ruoät thöøa bò nhieãm truøng. Baùc só Evan O’Neill Kane thöïc hieän cuoäc giaûi phaãu. Trong ba-möôi-baûy-naêm y nghieäp danh tieáng, OÂng ñaõ thöïc hieän gaàn 4.000 cuoäc giaûi phaãu ruoät thöøa, vaäy laàn moå xeû naày cuõng khoâng coù gì ñaùng chuù yù, ngoaïi tröø hai vaán ñeà: Söï kieän môùi laàn ñaàu cho cuoäc giaûi phaãu naày? Vieäc aùp duïng thuoác teâ trong cuoäc giaûi phaãu lôùn. Baùc só Kane laø moät nhaø vaän ñoäng choáng laïi nhöõng nguy hieåm cuûa loaïi thuoác meâ. OÂng khaúng ñònh raèng vieäc aùp duïng thuoác teâ an toaøn hôn. Nhieàu ñoàng nghieäp ñoàng yù vôùi OÂng treân nguyeân taéc, song muoán cho hoï doàng yù trong thöïc haønh, hoï phaûi thaáy lyù thuyeát ñöôïc aùp duïng. * * * Baùc só Kane tìm kieám moät ngöôøi tình nguyeän, moät beänh nhaân chòu moå xeû baèng thuoác teâ. Moät ngöôøi tình nguyeän khoâng deã gì tìm. Nhieàu ngöôøi deø daët vôùi yù nghó bò thöùc tænh trong luùc moå xeû. Nhöõng ngöôøi khaùc lo sôï thuoác teâ seõ choùng tan bieán. Duø vaäy, sau cuøng, Baùc só Kane tìm ñöôïc moät öùng vieân. Saùng ngaøy Thöù Ba, 15 thaùng Hai, cuoäc giaûi phaãu lòch söû xaûy ra. Beänh nhaän ñöôïc chuaån bò vaø ñaåy vaøo phoøng phaãu thuaät. Thuoác teâ ñöôïc aùp duïng. Nhö OÂng töøng theå hieän caû ngaøn laàn, BS Kane moå xeû nhöõng lôùp da thòt beân ngoaøi, vaø tìm choãã ruoät thöøa. OÂng kheùo leùo caét raùp vaø hoaøn taát cuoäc moå xeû. Suoát tieán trình, beänh nhaân chæ than hôi khoù chòu. Ngöôøi tình nguyeän ñöôïc ñöa vaøo phoøng haâïu phaãu thuaät, sau ñoù chuyeån qua khu döôõng söùc. OÂng ta hoài phuïc nhanh choùng vaø rôøi beänh vieän hai ngaøy sau. Baùc só Kane ñaõ chöùng minh lyù thueát cuûa OÂng. Nhôø yù chí cuûa moät ngöôøi tình nguyeän can ñaûm, BS Kane ñaõ minh chöùng raèng thuoác teâ laø moät phöông thöùc thay theá ñaùng tin caäy vaø thích hôïp. Nhö toâi ñaõ noùi coù hai söï kieän giuùp cho laàn giaûi phaãu naày ñoäc ñaùo. Toâi ñaõ trình vôùi Baïn ñieàu thöù nhaát: aùp duïng thuoác teâ. Ñieàu thöù hai laø beänh nhaân. Ngöôøi öùng vieân daùm ñeå cho Baùc só Kane moå xeû chính laø Baùc só Kane. Ñeå minh chöùng quan ñieåm cuûa OÂng, BS Kane phaûi töï moå xeû treân chính thaân mình! Moät haønh ñoäng saùng suoát. Baùc só trôû thaønh beänh nhaân, haàu coù theå thuyeát phuïc caùc beänh nhaân khaùc tin caäy ngöôøi baùc só. Toâi töøng chia seû caâu chuyeän naày vôùi nhieàu chuyeân gia söùc khoûe. Moãi ngöôøi trong soá ñoù cho toâi thaáy cuøng moät phaûn öùng: chaân maøy caâu laïi, cöôøi nghi ngôø, vaø nhöõng lôøi hoang mang: “Thaät khoù tin.” Coù leû vaäy. Nhöng caâu chuyeän baùc só trôû thaønh beänh nhaân cuûa chính mình, deã daøng so saùnh vôùi caâu chuyeän Thöôïng Ñeá trôû thaønh loaøi ngöôøi. Nhöng Chuùa Jesus ñaõ laøm ñieàu ñoù. Haàu cho Baïn vaø toâi coù theå tin raèng Ñaáng Chöõa Laønh bieát nhöõng ñau thöông cuûa chuùng ta, Ngaøi ñaõ töï nguyeän trôû thaønh moät ngöôøi trong chuùng ta. Ngaøi ñaët chính Ngaøi trong vò trí cuûa chuùng ta. Ngaøi chòu khoå vôùi nhöõng ñau ñôùùn cuûa chuùng ta, vaø caûm nhaän nhöõng lo sôï cuûa chuùng ta. Bò töø boû chaêng? Ngaøi caûm thaáy ñieàu ñoù. Bò thöû thaùch chaêng? Ngaøi bieát ñieàu ñoù. Coâ ñôn chaêng? Ngaøi ñaõ töøng traûi. Cheát choùc? Ngaøi ñaõ neám muøi. Vaø caêng thaúng? Ngaøi coù theå vieát moät quyeån saùch veà ñieàu ñoù vôùi soá baùn kyû luïc. Taïi sao Ngaøi laøm theá? Moät lyù do. Haàu khi Baïn ñau ñôùn, Baïn seõ ñeán vôùi Ngaøi – Ñaáng Thieân Phuï vaø Ñaïi Y Só cuûa Baïn – vaø haõy ñeå Ngaøi chöõa laønh. {

} A day in the life of Christ. Call it a tapestry of turmoil, a noisy pictorial in which the golden threads of triumph entwine with the black, frazzled strings of tragedy. Call it a symphony of emotions, a sunrise-to-sunset orchestration of extremes. One score is brassy with exuberance; the next moans with sorrow. On one page, the orchestra swells in adoration. On the next, Jesus solos the ballad of loneliness. Whatever you call it, call it real. Call it a day in which Jesus experiences more stress than he will any other day of his life - aside from his crucifixion. Before the morning becomes evening, he has reason to weep... run... shout... curse... praise... doubt. From calm to chaos. From peace to perplexity. Within moments his world is turned upside down. In the tapestry, though, there is one thread that sparkles. In the symphony, there is one song that soars. In the story, there is one lesson that comforts. You’ve heard it before, but you may have forgotten it. Look closely. Listen intently. Be reminded: Jesus knows how you feel. If you’ve ever had a day in which you’ve been blitzkrieged by demands, if you’ve ever ridden the roller coaster of sorrow and celebration, if you’ve ever wondered if God in heaven can relate to you on earth, then read and reread about this pressure-packed day in the life of Christ. Take heart. Jesus knows how you feel. * * * He begins the morning by hearing about the death of John the Baptist: his cousin, his forerunner, his coworker, his friend. The man who came closer to understanding Jesus than any other is dead. Imagine losing the one person who knows you better than anyone else, and you will feel what Jesus is feeling. Reflect on the horror of being told that your dearest friend has just been murdered, and you will relate to Jesus’ sorrow. Consider your reaction if you were told that your best friend had just been decapitated by a people-pleasing, incestuous monarch, and you’ll see how the day begins for Christ. His world is beginning to turn upside down. The emissaries brought more than news of sorrow, however; they brought a warning: “The same Herod who took John’s head is interested in yours.” Listen to how Luke presents the monarch’s madness: “Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?’ And he tried to see him”. Something tells me that Herod wanted more than a social visit. So, with John’s life taken and his own life threatened, Jesus chooses to get away for a while. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” But before he can get away, his disciples arrive. The Gospel of Mark states that “the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” They return exuberant. Jesus had commissioned them to proclaim the gospel and authenticate it with miracles. “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick healed people with oil and healed them.” Can you imagine the excitement? Can you envision the scene? A reunion of twelve friends. A reuniting of disciples with their teacher. A homecoming bubbling with testimonies: • Peter describing a lame man he healed. • John telling of a crowd he taught. • Andrew recounting the deliverance of an epileptic. • James relating to Jesus how the crowds followed him wherever he went. • Matthew reporting the healing of a blind woman. Remember, these disciples were ordinary men. They weren’t orators, scholars, kings, or saints. They were fishermen and a tax collector, common laborers who, by God’s power, had taken a nation by storm. The emotion? Exuberance. In a matter of moments, Jesus’ heart goes from the pace of a funeral dirge to the triumphant march of a ticker-tape parade. And look who follows the disciples to locate Jesus. About five thousand men plus women and children! Rivers of people cascade out of the hills and villages. Some scholars estimate the crowd to be as high as twenty-five thousand. They swarm around Jesus, each with one desire: to meet the man who had empowered the disciples. What had been a calm morning now buzzes with activity. “So many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat.” I’ve had people demand my attention. But twenty-five thousand? That’s larger than many cities! No wonder the disciples couldn’t eat. I’m surprised they could breathe! * * * The morning has been a jungle trail of the unexpected. First Jesus grieves over the death of a dear friend and relative. Then his life is threatened. Next he celebrates the triumphant return of his followers. Then he is nearly suffocated by a brouhaha of humanity. Bereavement... jeopardy... jubilation... bedlam. Are you beginning to see why I call this the second most stressful day in the life of Christ? And it’s far from over. Jesus decides to take the disciples to a quiet place where they can rest and reflect. He shouts a command over the noise of the crowd. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” The thirteen fight their way to the beach and climb into a boat. And, for a few precious moments, the world is quiet again. The din of the crowd grows distant and the only sound is the slap of the water against the hull. Jesus’ heart is weighted by sorrow and buoyed by joy. He watches his followers swapping stories of victory. Then he raises his glance and sees on the horizon Tiberias, the city constructed by John the Baptist’s murderer, Herod. Joy suddenly alloyed with indignation causes his fists to clench and his eyes to moisten. Who would question his desire to get away from the people? He just needs a few hours alone. Just a respite. Just a retreat. Time to pray. Time to ponder. Time to weep. A time without crowds or demands. A campfire wreathed with friends. An evening with those he loves. The people can wait until tomorrow. The people, however, have other ideas. “The crowds learned about it and followed him.” It’s a six-mile walk around the northeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee, so the crowd take a hike. When Jesus got to Bethsaida, his desired retreat had become a roaring arena. “Surprise!” Add to the list of sorrow, peril, excitement, and bedlam the word interruption. Jesus’ plans are interrupted. What he has in mind for his day and what the people have in mind for his day are two different agendas. What Jesus seeks and what Jesus gets are not the same. Sound familiar? Remember, when you sought a night’s rest and got a colicky baby? Remember when you sought to catch up at the office and got even further behind? Remember when you sought to use your Saturday for leisure, but ended up fixing your neighbor’s sink? Take comfort, friend. It happened to Jesus, too. In fact, this would be a good time to pause and digest the central message of this chapter. Jesus knows how you feel. Ponder this and use the next time your world goes from calm to chaos. His pulse has raced. His eyes have grown weary. His heart has grown heavy. He has had to climb out of bed with sore throat. He has been kept awake late and has gotten up early. He knows how you feel. You may have trouble believing that. You probably believe that Jesus knows what it means to endure heavy-duty tragedies. You are no doubt convinced that Jesus is acquainted with sorrow and has wrestled with fear. Most people accept that. But can God relate to the hassles and headaches of my life? Of your life? For some reason this is harder to believe. Perhaps that’s why portions of this day are recorded in all the Gospel accounts. No other event, other than the Crucifixion, is told by all four Gospel writers. Not Jesus’ baptism. Not his temptation. Not even his birth. But all four writers chronicle this day. It’s as if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John knew that you would wonder if God understands. And they proclaim their response in four-part harmony: Jesus knows how you feel. A friend of mine was recently trying to teach his six-year-old son how to shoot a basket. The boy would take the basketball and push it as hard as he could toward the goal, but it always fell short. The father would then take the ball and toss it toward the basket, saying something like, “Just do it like this, son. It’s easy.” Then the boy would try, and miss, again. My friend would then take the ball and make another basket, encouraging his son to push the ball a bit harder. After several minutes and many misses, the boy responded to his father’s encouragement by saying, “Yeah, but it’s easy for you up there. You don’t know how hard it is from down here.” You and I can never say that about God. Of the many messages Jesus taught us that day about stress, the first one is this: “God knows how you feel.” Read how J. B. Phillips translates Hebrews 4:15: “For we have no superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses are unintelligible - he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned.” The writer of Hebrews is adamant almost to the point of redundancy. It’s as if he anticipates our objections. It’s as if he knows that we will say to God what my friend’s son said to him: “God, it’s easy for you up there. You don’t know how hard it is from down here.” So he boldly proclaims Jesus’ ability to understand. Look at the wording again. He himself - Not an angel. Not an ambassador. Not an emissary, but Jesus himself. Shared fully - Not partially. Not nearly. Not to a large degree. Entirely! Jesus shared fully. In all our experience - Every hurt. Each ache. All the stresses and all the strains. No exceptions. No substitutes. Why? So he could sympathize with our weaknesses. * * * A politician dons a hardhat and enters the factory like he is one of the employees. A social worker goes to the inner city and spends the night on the streets with the homeless. A general walks into the mess hail and sits down with the soldiers like he is one of the enlisted men. All three want to communicate the same message: “I identify with you. I can understand. I can relate.” There is one problem, though. The factory employees know that the politician’s hardhat will come off when the television crew is gone. The derelicts know that the social worker will be in a warm bed tomorrow night. And the soldiers are well aware that for every meal the general eats in the mess hall, he’ll eat dozens in the officers’ quarters. Try as they might, these well-meaning professionals don’t really understand. Their participation is partial. Jesus’ participation, however, was complete. The writer of Hebrews states with double clarity that Jesus “shared fully in all our experience.” A bookstore owner in the Northwest once told me about an angry lady who stomped into his store carrying my book, God Came Near. She slammed the book on the counter, said a few less-than-kind things about the book, and then screamed loudly enough for everyone on the block to hear, “My God didn’t have pimples!” I know the paragraph that put the spark in her tinderbox. It reads like this: “Jesus may have had pimples. He may have been tone-deaf. Perhaps a girl down the street had a crush on him or vice-versa. It could be that his knees were bony. One thing’s for sure: He was, while completely divine, completely human.” I can understand why the woman became upset. I can relate to her discomfort. We quickly fix a crack in the stained glass. We rub away any smudges on the altar. There is something safe about a God who never had callouses. There is something awesome about a God who never felt pain. There is something majestic about a God who never scraped his elbow. But there is also something cold about a God who cannot relate to what you and I feel. If I had a moment with that lady, I would ask her, “Jesus may not have had pimples, but don’t you hope that he could have?” Every page of the Gospels hammers home this crucial principle: God knows how you feel. From the funeral to the factory to the frustration of a demanding schedule. Jesus understands. When you tell God that you’ve reached your limit, he knows what you mean. When you shake your head at impossible deadlines, he shakes his, too. When your plans are interrupted by people who have other plans, he nods in empathy. He has been there. He knows how you feel.’ * * * February 15, 1921. New York City. The operating room of the Kane Summit Hospital. A doctor is performing an appendectomy. In many ways the events leading to the surgery are uneventful. The patient has complained of severe abdominal pain. The diagnosis is clear: an inflamed appendix. Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane is performing the surgery. In his distinguished thirty-seven-year medical career, he has performed nearly four thousand appendectomies, so this surgery will be uneventful in all ways except two. The first novelty of this operation? The use of local anesthesia in major surgery. Dr. Kane is a crusader against the hazards of general anesthesia. He contends that a local application is far safer. Many of his colleagues agree with him in principle, but in order for them to agree in practice, they will have to see the theory applied. Dr. Kane searches for a volunteer, a patient who is willing to undergo surgery while under local anesthesia. A volunteer is not easily found. Many are squeamish at the thought of being awake during their own surgery. Others are fearful that the anesthesia might wear off too soon. Eventually, however, Dr. Kane finds a candidate. On Tuesday morning, February 15, the historic operation occurs. The patient is prepared and wheeled into the operating room. A local anesthetic is applied. As he has done thousands of times, Dr. Kane dissects the superficial tissues and locates the appendix. He skillfuliy excises it and concludes the surgery. During the procedure, the patient complains of only minor discomfort. The volunteer is taken into post-op, then placed in a hospital ward. He recovers quickly and is dismissed two days later. Dr. Kane had proven his theory. Thanks to the willingness of a brave volunteer, Kane demonstrated that local anesthesia was a viable, and even preferable, alternative. But I said there were two facts that made the surgery unique. I’ve told you the first: the use of local anesthesia. The second is the patient. The courageous candidate for surgery by Dr. Kane was Dr. Kane. To prove his point, Dr. Kane operated on himself. A wise move. The doctor became a patient in order to convince the patients to trust the doctor. I’ve shared this story with several health professionals. They each gave me the same response: furrowed brow, suspicious grin, and the dubious words, “That’s hard to believe.” Perhaps it is. But the story of the doctor who became his own patient is mild compared to the story of the God who became human. But Jesus did. So that you and I would believe that the Healer knows our hurts, he voluntarily became one of us. He placed himself in our position. He suffered our pains and felt our fears. Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He experienced it. Death? He tasted it. And stress? He could write a best-selling book about it. Why did he do it? One reason. So that when you hurt,you will go to him - your Father and your Physician – and let him heal. (Excerpt from In the Eyes of the Storm by Max Lucado) {

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