Thoughts on Hebrews 4.

A few days ago I was reading in Hebrews chapter 4, and I was struck by the following two verses:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16, NIV)

I think there are two things I love about these verses. Number one, I love that the writer of Hebrews says that we have a high priest in Jesus who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Because Jesus was a human being just like you or I, he can truly sympathize with what we go through. He experienced the highs and lows of the human condition. Every feeling we go through, Jesus went through at some point. When I pray, I'm not speaking to a God who's removed from what I'm going through. I'm talking to someone who's been there, and sometimes, that makes all the difference.

But I was also struck by the second part. Because Jesus can sympathize with our weakness, we can approach his throne with confidence. Jesus knows what we're going through, and he can help us because he knows what we need. The catch? We have to approach. The writer of Hebrews tells his readers to take the initiative and approach God's throne. Jesus wants to help, but we need to ask. And I think that a lot of the time, I forget to do that part.