Yuki Fukuda
(Gunma Prefecture, Japan)
Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. - Hebrews 2:18 (NRSVUE)
When I learned that I had a very rare and serious disease, I took a leave of absence from my job as a teacher in a Christian school to undergo treatment. Following hospitalization, I returned home and eventually went back to work with three scars on my neck from the medical procedures. Jesus also had wounds that resulted from his suffering on the cross. Knowing Jesus had suffered even more than I had was a powerful realization. I now more fully understand what it means that Jesus is, as today’s scripture verse says, “able to help those who are suffering.”
Though the condition that required treatment has been healed, I still experience complications that require medical care. But I am grateful to be able to continue teaching children. When I was suffering with the effects of that disease, I thought, Why me? However, now I realize that this experience has enabled me to understand children who are ill and suffering. And I know that Jesus went before us and offered himself up for us. I am grateful to Jesus and to God who watched over me during my illness and gave me this kind of understanding.
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