We have all been there.
So nervous, our palms are like little lakes.
And then, of course, you are going to have to shake someone’s hand right away.
Ashamed of the fact, that they now have to grip onto your slippery fingers.
Are you a member of the clammy hand club? Because I sure am.
Sweating, to me anyway, reminds me of humanity.
We cannot escape it. It keeps us cool in the summer. It shows up under our armpits when we go on a first date. It embarrasses us when we have clammy hands. It stings our eyes when we go on long runs.
The other morning I was just waking up. Super groggy and going in and out of sleep.
I was delirious, and out of nowhere a thought popped into my mind,
“Jesus sweat”
For some reason, this little thought struck me. I could not stop thinking about it.
I saw Christ in the garden, with palms sweaty in anticipation of his Passion.
I saw Christ carrying the cross, sweating on the way to His crucifixion.
I saw Christ, preaching to the apostles on a hillside with his hair drenched from scorching sun.
Knowing of the divinity of Christ, sometimes it has been difficult for me to understand His humanity. It has been hard for me to empathize with the fact that He fully understands the human condition.
We know He understands pain through His crucifixion.
We know He understands loneliness through His betrayal.
We know He understands anger, as He walked through the temple.
For some reason, meditating on the fact that Christ sweat has opened my eyes up to His humanity. It has allowed me to trust that Christ gets it. Our Lord understands the trials and tribulations of our time here on earth.
So, next time the world has got you sweating. Take heart! Because physiologically our Lord experienced the same thing.
When your palms are sweaty, remember Christ in the garden.
When your hair is drenched, meditate on our Lord’s preaching.
When you are exercising, thank the Lord for carrying the cross.
His palms were sweaty friends, let this give you comfort.
For it is a comfort to remember, that our Lord gets it.
