The human heart is desperately wicked, of whom can they understand.

Pride is a cancer in so many of us. I think that God is always trying to break through that pride and arrogance that we have. Time and time again we see the warnings and reminders that God despises the proud and uplifts the humble.

Pride was something that was exceedingly prevalent in Jesus' day among the various religious groups among the Jews. Through the many additions that these people added to the original law in the Torah, given by Moses, they were trying to work their way into heaven.

Yet, Eph 2:8-9 CLEARLY shows us that: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--9not by works, so that no one can boast."

The only thing that we should boast in and lift up is the great and mighty work that God has done in our hearts. For at one day we will be seated with God in the heavenly realms, co-heirs with Christ! How amazing!

However, people who think that they do not need God are of course not excited about this. They incorrectly and foolishly think that they are both in control of their lives, and in control of their final resting place based upon their "works" and/or deeds.

For God there is no partiality or favortism. (Deut 10:17)

In our weakness, God can be given the most glory. When the angels in heaven see the great and mighty think that God has done in us, by taking a man who was dead in their sins and tresspasses, and then bringing new life in them, crowning them with the glory and righteousness that truly belongs to Jesus, then what praise will be before the Father!

This can be seen in part through Mary's song. It is so beautiful to see her rejoicing in the goodness of the Father. She didn't see herself as one who merited God's favour. Nay, instead she, had probably been reminded for years that she was considered a nobody in her time. She was a poor woman from the dirty, corrupt town of Nazareth. Nobody thought highly of Nazareth. That is why people were surprised that anything good could come from Nazareth when Jesus said he was from there. (John 1:46)

Yet, with God all things are possible. I think that it is a comforting thought to know that God sees all of us equally, and with the same amount of love in our eyes. May we fulfill the greatest commandment as well by displaying this same love to others that we come across. The person we see on the street was also created and is dearly loved by God.

Matthew 9:12 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

 God frequented the so called "lowly" to show us that while the other people thought of themselves as better, they weren't at all. Everyone needs the medicine only God can give. Amen.

I remember hearing somewhere some time ago how when Jesus humbled himself as a lowly man and came to this earth, he saw and experienced as a real man himself the full effects of sin. He saw what has become of the world He created the curse that fell upon all of creation through Adam and Eve.

He lived admist the heart-ache, pain, and suffering that his friends and followers experienced. Isaiah tells us that he was a man of sorrows, one accquainted with grief. Jesus is coming down and seeing His people, those that He has created and knows intimately in distress and dispair.

They are so blinded by their sin and so overwhelmed with the strict and religious code/conduct of the Jewish people that they don't even know of the cure that is right in front of their faces.

Hebrews tells us that we have a great high priest who can syphatize and understand our weaknesses, for He lived as a real man. He underwent similiar problems and struggles that we can deal with today.

So, when He had compassion, he really was able to put himself in their shoes. He knows everything about us and so I think that when our heart hurts and bleeds, so does his.

It is like the Footprints in the Sand poem. He is walking beside us step by step in life. He rejoices when we rejoice, and cries when we cry.