You know people who are disabled, but did you ever think that Jesus was?
I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends. You know me, I'm always looking to see what God's Word has to say about our physical limitations. And when you study the life of Jesus, you have to stop and consider that although our Savior did not have a physical disability, He did handicap Himself when He came to earth. How can I say that for sure? Well, the dictionary defines a handicap as any difficulty which is imposed on a superior person so as to hamper or disadvantage him, making that person more equal with others.
Wow! Certainly, if we use that definition, then Jesus was handicapped. Think of it. The Father really did handicap the Son. On one hand, the fullness of God dwelt in Christ, yet on the other hand He made Himself nothing. He emptied Himself, taking on the very nature of a servant.
Talk about handicaps! To be God on one hand and yet to make Himself nothing — that is one severe limitation which, you would think, would hamper the Lord and put Him at a disadvantage.
Jesus, the Master Architect of the entire universe, designed suns and stars, galaxies and planets, and when He handicapped Himself, He made Himself a carpenter, a humble carpenter in a small village in Nazareth; a carpenter on earth, limiting Himself to architecturally designing wooden chairs and stools and tables rather than galaxies.
Jesus was also the One who spoke the Word, creating everything around us. But this same Jesus who spoke time and space into being, handicapped Himself on earth, choosing instead to speak to prostitutes, lepers, and sinners.
Jesus, the One who since Satan’s fall had despised pain and suffering as one of the awful results of man’s sin, handicapped Himself on earth when His back ached and His muscles cramped and when He sweat real sweat and cried real tears and bled real blood.
Oh, friend, when I think of all this, it strikes me that these limitations just didn’t “happen” to Jesus in the same way circumstances “happen” to you and me. The amazing thing is Christ actually (get this) chose to be handicapped. I can’t think of too many people who would actually choose to be disabled -- I know I wouldn’t. There is nothing, nothing fun... nothing easy… nothing casual about dealing with quadriplegia. From the very get-go, it is hard.
It's why I have on my office wall right above my desk a picture of a handicapped man who lives in Africa -- I don't know his name and I have never met him, but just one look at that photograph tells me that there is nothing easy, nothing fun about this man's life. It's hard! And I keep his photo above my desk to remind me of the very people God has called me to reach with his marvelous Gospel. By the way, I'd love you to see the photograph of this man and you can do so by simply going to Joni and Friends radio.org and click on my radio webpage and be inspired, just like I am every day, with this incredible photograph and this man’s expression on his face. Again it's JoniandFriendsradio.org, and, by the way, when you do visit me today on my webpage would you please make certain you give the call letters of this station. I’d sure love to know where you are listening from.
Finally, if you are listening and you have a physical handicap, then you are not in bad company, because remember, friend, (my handicapped friend) you are in an elite fellowship with Christ Himself — the One who, unlike any of us, actually, unbelievably, miraculously chose to be handicapped.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
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