Encountering the Pain of the Cross - Jesus Sees What I See

How did Jesus keep it together as he moved toward Jerusalem and his crucifixion? Did he lament not being able to do more? I cannot imagine the weight of it as he walked through those towns for the last time.

Yet, imagine I try.

St. Ignatius developed the practice of Imaginative Contemplation where we place ourselves in the stories of Scripture, utilizing all our senses. It helps me zero in and find Jesus in prayer, especially these days, when I’m overwhelmed by this world. Let me share how we spent time together the other day. Will you come with us?

We are on our way to Jericho, which is on the way to Jerusalem. What do I smell in the air around me as I walk with Jesus along the road? The scent of the hot, dusty road prevails. Are we walking alongside the shore, where I see groups of seagulls circling in a bright, cloudless sky and hear fishmongers hawking the morning’s catch? Is there a stone lodged in my sandal that I can’t work loose, or a clench in my chest as I wait to ask Jesus the burning question I’ve been harboring? Just like when I am walking with someone I care about, I am fully aware of his physical presence beside me as he greets the people who watch us or as he helps me over that pile of fishing nets in my way. Luke 18 lays out the scene we’re entering.

As he resolutely set his face toward Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Something mysterious and unwritten transpires for me at that moment. I hear the blind man cry out and think to myself, “Monique, stop for him—even though you’re on your way to Jerusalem.” And then Jesus stops… too. I swing my head around to him and look with surprise. Setting aside all personal distraction and making no assumptions, Jesus squats before the man and asks him what he needs. I can’t stop staring, listening to the conversation taking place between them.

In retrospect, I wonder, what’s the big deal? Don’t I know how this story goes? Yet at that moment, when I’m in the story with Jesus, I don’t know the ending. I am fully present in that moment in time—able to be surprised—which in turn, leaves me open to what God is doing with my heart through this encounter. Here, God reintroduces me to Jesus, the human being beside me, acting exactly as I would act! Why am I so surprised? In my head I know the answer, yet my heart asks the question anyway: “Am I like God or is God like me?” My instinct to pay attention, to stop, to assist in whatever way I can, is also Jesus’ instinct. The anguish I feel for the cruelties I see humans perpetrate against each other… is Jesus’ anguish too. I’ve not considered this —considered Jesus—in quite the same way before. Perhaps it’s the timing of this encounter, but this question keeps pushing at the door of my heart, keeping it ajar to what else God wants to say on the way to Jerusalem.

Even steadfast practice of prayer and praying can be no match for pain—especially shocking pain, or pain that feels life-ending; pain from which there seems no coming back. Yet, for each of us on our road to Jerusalem, there must be new considerations of faith for the holy ground of our relationship with the Divine to mean anything at all. “Consider this…” God whispers. Maturing in prayer means that we experience God through both head and heart, trusting—and entrusting—our whole selves to this God who aches for our uncontrolled, unorchestrated response to love.

What if, to foster something deeper, Jesus stops in front of me, too, with no agenda but mine? Pause with this thought.

If I am like Jesus in standing before this man at the gate, then I must also stop for myself… and stop with something other than critique or judgement. Is this the ultimate challenge in having the same heart? I must be as consistent in loving myself as in loving my neighbor. The conviction with which I search for goodness in humanity, is Jesus’ conviction too. Jesus showed a supreme gentleness in his response to the blind man. Accepting that gentleness and extending that gentleness to ourselves may take time, especially when it comes to our wrenching experiences of pain, but that’s the invitation.

Take some time, today, to examine your own likeness to Jesus. Where do you see an overlap with his reactions or presence? Is there one example from his life that is startlingly similar to the way you love? “Consider our likeness,” he whispers. Keep the door of your heart ajar and stay with him. What he reveals next on the journey is meant just for the two of you.

Going Deeper

• Your imagination is what sets you apart from all of creation. Learn more about the powerful prayer practice of Imaginative Contemplation, even if you’ve tried it before, and explore what God might be inviting you to in prayer at this time of your life.

• Knowing what we appreciate about ourselves is important before we can see ourselves in Jesus. Read about Jean Heaton’s journey to self-respect in a recent blog post, Witness of Hope - People Who Help You See Yourself As God Sees You.

• Receive encouragement when wondering if Jesus sees what we see as we look around us at the pain in the world these days, through this song by The Porter’s Gate, The Kingdom of Jesus.

• Invite Becky Eldredge to lead you in the guided prayer, “I am…You are…”, moving beyond your head and into your heart. Who do you say Jesus is? Who does Jesus say you are?

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash, highlighting the 2026 Walk for Peace.

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Monique Jacobs

Monique Jacobs has been engaged in professional active ministry in the church for 40+ years, offering workshops, retreats, and writing. She accompanies people in these roles, and as a Spiritual Director, using Ignatian methods and spirituality. Her joy is to serve as mentor and companion to others, highlighting their gifts and helping to build up the body of Christ. Monique also hosts a YouTube Channel: Finding God in All Things, new videos posted weekly. Monique serves as the Director of Mission and Identity for Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. Subscribe to Monique’s YouTube Channel, Finding God In All Things.