Did Jesus ever experience trauma? In all
probability, yes! There are similarities with what he went through and what we
may go through, but with a major difference, possibly making the experience even
worse for him.
The subject of trauma is a little more complicated
than is normally talked about today. Among the various ways to categorize types
of trauma, there are both post-traumatic and pre-traumatic experiences. It
seems to me that we deal more with pre-traumatic stress than post-traumatic
stress. Jesus experienced both, but in aspects far different than us.
Post-traumatic stress (John 6):
He came to rescue the lost, but it seemed to backfire. He was running a
successful campaign: Crowds were increasing, and the movement was going in the
right direction. He miraculously fed 5,000; he walked on water. People were
amazed by him and his teaching, but he knew some of the people had misplaced
motives and intent. They needed to be redirected, and he sought to make
corrections. Some grumbled (v.41) and many began to leave (v. 66). He even knew
that one of his closest allies was going to betray him (v. 71). By normal
standards, the things that occurred seemed to have stymied the momentum of his
mission. Afterward, he was unwilling to travel in Judea because of death
threats (7:1).
He experienced the stress of rejection, which
generates feelings like, “I am a failure!” It is in these moments that mistakes
easily occur. People may switch from “building a loving and honorable testament”
to “saving their personal reputation,” an ego thing. They start the vicious
cycle of pondering, “if I could do it over again, I would….”
Did Jesus regret confronting those with misplaced
priorities? No, the Son of God always does what is right. He did what he had to
do. He then made necessary adjustments and continued with his mission.
Pre-traumatic stress (Luke 22):
From what we read in the Gospels about Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane—by
what he said in his prayers, by what he expected from his friends that they
failed to do, and by the sweat drops of blood—Jesus most likely was experiencing
severe trauma. The one Jesus already knew was going to betray him did it, and
he went to the cross of salvation.
When we experience pre-trauma, it is normally due
to what we think might occur. When Jesus experienced pre-trauma, it was
by knowing what was going to occur. Do you think that Jesus never
witnessed the grotesque nature of crucifixion in his lifetime? This form of
execution was regularly done on roadways throughout the Roman Empire. It was
ugly and cruel.
The stress in both circumstances was greater for
Jesus than what we experience when facing similar situations because he “knew.”
In our trauma, there is so much uncertainty; in his trauma, there was none.
The difference between Jesus and us is in what he knows and how we feel.
Today, when we experience pre- or post-trauma, Jesus
knows with certainty what exactly is going to happen to us, has genuine empathy
for us, and will be with us. He will neither betray nor forsake
us like his friends did to him, but as our true friend, no matter what, he will
help us with any and all traumatic moods and emotions. Wholeness will return to
us when we grab onto what he knows, rather than continue to hold onto
how we feel.
Those in Christ believe that Jesus never
fails, and we should trust him. He will get us through whatever kind of trauma
we must face. Jesus knows what is best, regardless of how we may be feeling.
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