NOTES for Heb 2:10-18
Could the Lord help a person facing temptation before the Incarnation? Of course He could, for He was almighty even then... What, then, is today’s reading saying? What does it mean that “because He Himself suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted”? It seems that the point concerns the following aspect. The issue is not whether God is able or unable to provide help. It is whether a person is able to accept that help, or even simply to ask for it. It is very difficult to relate to One who, by definition, not only could not do anything wrong, but had no possibility of doing so. He is only power, only wisdom; clearly, He will never act against His own will... In becoming incarnate, God became true man, and this means that the Son received the potential possibility of violating the Father’s will. Like each of us, He had the possibility of choosing an easier and more comfortable option. He chose the Father’s will. The Son, more than anyone, knows the terror of making a choice. When we face temptation, we can say with confidence: He understands what is happening to us, because He knows it from His own experience. If we come to Him with our problem, He will understand.