The Most Wonderful Counselor

The best counselors I know are ones that have been through difficulties of their own and can empathize with their clients. In fact, one of the key characteristics I look for in therapists as I am interviewing is brokenness. I ask each candidate, “tell me a time in your life you were broken and what did you learn from it?” No one wants to see a counselor that has it all together. People want to see someone who understands.

It’s that time of year, and the other day I heard a familiar Christmas song that reminded me of the original and most wonderful counselor (I also have to give credit to a Tim Keller podcast The Word Made Flesh). Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the most sympathetic counselor of all time, and whether you are a believer in Jesus or not, please humor me on this. I realize he is a controversial figure. However, he is mostly controversial because his followers don’t act the way he has asked them to. For a moment, no matter what you believe, please throw out what you think you know and hear a different view on Christmas.

Jesus is the most wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6) because he “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15. He experienced more brokenness, more struggles, more injustice and more rejection than any of us could ever comprehend. I can’t list all of the ways Jesus went through similar pains and struggles as the rest of us, but allow me to touch on a few.

Before Jesus was even born there were rumors and gossip about his conception. He was born into a poor family, among an oppressed people, and lived part of his life as a refugee. Multiple times when people found out he was from Nazereth people would proclaim (as one of his future disciples proclaimed) “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” He experienced racism and class discrimination, but these aren’t even the worst things he faced.

Jesus was rejected by his family. His brothers didn’t believe in him. Have you been rejected by family? Jesus has felt your pain.

Jesus was let down by his friends. The night before he was to be crucified Jesus said to his three closest friends, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.” And three times he came back to find them asleep. Not to mention the rejection he felt from Peter, who after saying he would die for Jesus, denied even knowing him three times.

Do you ever feel alone or like no one understands you? Or maybe that no one cares about you? Jesus understands.

In his words to his disciples you can see even more suffering. His soul was overwhelmed with “sorrow to the point of death.” The book of Isaiah explains this about the coming messiah, “He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”

Have you struggled with sadness, grief, or pain? Jesus has been there.

On the very same sorrowful night that his friends let him down, he also experienced extraordinary stress. The gospels tell us that the night before he was to die, he prayed and sweated drops of blood. The only time that humans can sweat drops of blood is when they are feeling absolute stress and agony.

Have you ever worried about the future or experienced tremendous stress? So has Jesus.

The last two experiences are, in my opinion, the worst ones he went through. Jesus was unjustly sentenced to an incredibly painful death sentence. He was given to the Romans by his own people.

Have you experienced injustice? Things that aren’t fair? He has been there and understands your pain, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I think the most relatable suffering he went through is this: the gospel of Mark states, “He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by.” Jesus, knowing the horrible death he was about to go through, prayed to God to rescue him. God said no.

I have met many people who are angry with God because He did not answer their prayers in their greatest hour of need. Jesus experienced the same pain, he knows exactly what it’s like.

Why am I writing about the suffering of Jesus? Because I hope knowing that there is a wonderful counselor who understands your pain, your abandonment, your struggles, and your disappointments is a comfort for you. And Jesus doesn’t require an appointment, he is always available for counsel.

This is the great hope and joy of Christmas. God became flesh; vulnerable, weak and lived among us. Come to the wonderful counselor who can sympathize with your struggles and receive peace. I invite you, whether you have never prayed or pray often, to talk with God. Explain your pain and struggles. Be real with your anger and disappointment. Stenzel Clinical offers faith based counseling, but no matter how helpful your counselor is during your path to healing God will listen and sympathize better than anyone else can.