I wonder how often Jesus felt lonely. Not in the “there is no one around, to talk to” kind of lonely. I actually find it hard to believe that Jesus had the chance to feel that much. We often see Jesus surrounded by people by the dozens, hundreds, even thousands at a time. Overwhelming, seems a more appropriate term. So not loneliness in isolation, but rather, the “lonely in the crowded room” kind of lonely. A loneliness that comes from being surrounded by people but not feeling truly understood by anyone. A loneliness that comes by faces and voices all around, but no one talking about what is heavy on your heart. I wonder how often Jesus felt this kind of lonely.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was fully God, while also being fully man. The emotions and feelings that we as humans experience, Jesus did as well. We see instances in the Bible where Jesus was sad, angry, hungry, and tired. I would fully imagine that He was also at times lonely. He may have been missing being in heaven and talking with God and the angels. He may have felt frustrated by all He saw going on around Him and wishing that there was someone else that could relate to what He was thinking. He might have felt loneliness when many of His agemates were marrying and having children, and He knew that this was not going to be in His future. He might have felt a loneliness that comes from having experiences and understanding that were so different from those around Him, that it was sometimes even a struggle to know how to relate to people. There are lots of things I could speculate about, but I am confident that there were times that Jesus was lonely. And that solidarity deeply comforts me.

Hebrews 4:15-16 reads that “Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So, whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God”.

I am often lonely. That “lonely in a crowded room lonely” is a common space for me to be. These truths in Hebrews helps me to remember that I am not alone in these feelings. Jesus had them as well. And God is telling me to bring those feelings, those emotions, those tears, and put them bravely before our kind and merciful God. And just as God loved His son Jesus and was with Him in His time of humanity, God loves me and is with me as well. God wants me to tell Him all about it, trusting that He knows and understands and is with me always, even in my loneliness.

And because God is always with me, I am actually never truly alone.