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The Deep Sighs of Jesus

There is this thing we all do when reality smacks up against our hopes. We sigh. We exhale a burst of air that may come from our lungs, but also comes from some angst-filled place in our heart. The deeper the sigh, the greater the disconnect between the world we hope for, and the one we live i…
By Seth Barnes
By Seth Barnes

There is this thing we all do when reality smacks up against our hopes. We sigh. We exhale a burst of air that may come from our lungs, but also comes from some angst-filled place in our heart.

The deeper the sigh, the greater the disconnect between the world we hope for, and the one we live in.

Jesus seemed to live in this gap a lot. You could hear it in his testy responses to people. Look at a few chapters in Mark:

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*He calls Pharisees “hypocrites” to their faces when they ask him about traditions. (Mark 7:5-8)
    
*He calls his disciples “dull” when they fail to understand his explanation. (Mark 7:18)
    
*Before healing a deaf and mute man, he looks up to heaven and sighs deeply. (Mark 7:34)
    
*After he feeds 4000 men, the Pharisees ask for a sign. He responds with a deep sigh. (Mark 8:12)
    
*In his debrief of what just happened, his disciples misunderstand his metaphor. You can hear the exasperation in his voice. “Do you still not understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?" (Mark 8:17-18)
    
*When Peter rebukes him, Jesus snaps back and calls Peter “Satan.” (Mark 8:33)

Living in the gap between spiritual and physical reality can be a frustrating experience. Who of us hasn't struggled with trying to live a life of faith in a world that is cynical and disbelieving?

If it can make even Jesus respond with exasperation, then perhaps he cuts the rest of us a break too.

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