I have watched job interviews improve over the years, but I’m not sure if this is just the people I work with, or a more universal trend. In decades gone by, an interview might not have anything to do with the job, or employment might be based on the interviewer’s opinion (or bias) of a candidate, rather than actual suitability for the prospective role. While we know that some of this still takes place, at least it’s been a long time since I heard questions like, “If you could be any kind of tree, what kind of tree would you be?”.
Another classic (but not terribly useful) interview question was, “What is your greatest weakness?”. One time, I heard a candidate describe his greatest weakness as him sometimes being too proud of his great skills (or something like that), so I guess that’s one solution. However, I just don’t know a good way to answer that question effectively without sounding deficient or arrogant.
The reality is, though, that we all have weaknesses: We lack certain skills that others have mastered. We fight certain temptations that others seem to be immune to. We forget to practice good things that we read in the Bible, or Godly instructions that we hear from a pastor or teacher.
Here’s the good news: Jesus is neither surprised by our weaknesses, nor does He abandon us because of them.
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT
Jesus (being God) took on the infinitely weaker body of humankind (see Philippians 2:5-8). He had many weaknesses related to becoming a human being (despite the fact that it seems strange to say that Jesus had any weakness). He didn’t only have the appearance of a person; He was fully human, while still being fully God. So, He got tired, experienced sadness, and experienced injuries (which were probably not limited to His crucifixion; I expect that He got hurt sometimes while helping Joseph).
In addition, I believe that He gave up much or all of His divine power as He walked this earth. Some former pastors at our church (who are now serving elsewhere) taught me how Jesus humbled Himself beneath the authority of God the Father, and that it may have very well been the Father (instead of Jesus, directly) who performed the miracles that confirmed Jesus’ identity and message.
This gives me even more hope, in understanding that this same power from God is available to me. I don’t need to walk on water, but I can ask (pray) for the very same healing in others that Jesus exercised. While I am not the Savior, I can testify to God’s work around me, as proof that the messages I share from God’s Word are true.
It seems presumptuous to say that we have the ability to do anything that Jesus did, since – unlike Him – we are sinful and selfish. However, the Gospels show me that Jesus was modeling even more for us than just doing good things. Just as He talked with God the Father regularly, we should too. Just like Jesus asked His Father to intervene in the natural world, we can do the same thing. Just like Jesus’ perfect example including serving people selflessly, we can’t use the excuse that we’re “only human” to justify not doing the same thing.
In addition, now that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and is victorious over sin and death, we are grateful that He can appreciate our struggles. He is not some aloof leader who has never been in the trenches of the battle between good and evil. He wasn’t born into a privileged life, where He would never really understand our pain. (Technically, He was privileged, and was fully worthy of His role and sovereignty as God, but He willingly gave that up to save us.)
Instead, Jesus went through all manner of trials in the human condition, and cares for us as those who are trying to get through challenges, ourselves. I hope that you can rest in the confidence of both of these things, and find Jesus to be not only your Lord and Savior, but also a friend who walks with us through the valleys. He doesn’t need to ask us about weaknesses (although He listens when we talk about them to Him), nor does He disqualify us because of them. He understands – no interview required.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Those Who Sin Differently 