<p>5:2 <i>He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray- </i>The same idea of &quot;going astray&quot; is found in Lk. 11:6 AVmg., where the man &ldquo;out of his way&rdquo; comes knocking on the Lord&rsquo;s door. The image of the shut door is that of rejection; but here the door is opened, and the man given &ldquo;as much as he needs&rdquo; of forgiveness and acceptance.&nbsp;It is the same word used of the lost sheep which had &quot;gone astray&quot; and left the flock of God's people (Mt. 18:12,13). But the word is used of how the Judaists had gone astray (Mt. 22:29; M. 12:24), of how the Hebrews ancient and modern had gone astray (Heb. 3:10) and of how Judaism would make many 'go astray' in the last days before His coming (Mt. 24:4,5; 1 Jn. 2:26; 3:7). Even though the Hebrews had been made to go astray, Paul assures them of the Lord's continued compassion, just as much as for them who did not know the true way and were &quot;ignorant&quot;. The Lord Jesus has compassion upon those who are ignorant of His Gospel, just as He does upon those who fall out of the way to life (Heb. 5:2, alluding to Christ as the good Samaritan who comes to stricken men). His current activity and range of feeling is amazing. It is He who brings men to faith in God (1 Pet. 1:21; 3:18), revealing the Father to men (Lk. 10:22; Jn. 14:21), calling and inviting them to the Kingdom (1 Pet. 5:10; Rev. 22:17), going out into the market place and calling labourers (Mt. 20:3-7), almost <i>compelling</i> men to come in to the ecclesia (Mt. 22:8-10), receiving them when they are baptized (Rom. 15:7). He is the sower who sows the word in men's hearts, working night and day in the tending of the seed after it has take root (Mk. 4:27); the one who lights the candle in men's spirituality so that it might give light to others (Mk. 4:21). He permits and sometimes blocks preaching (1 Cor. 16:7,4,19; 2 Cor. 2:12; Phil. 2:24; 1 Thess. 3:11).</p><p><i>Since he himself is also subject to weakness</i>- This speaks of the Mosaic high priests; the Lord likewise was &quot;subject to weakness&quot; and thereby qualified and motivated to be sensitive to the weak. &quot;Subject to&quot; in Greek really means 'impeded by', and is used of being bound with a chain (Acts 28:20) or having a weight tied around the neck (Lk. 17:2). The limitations, impediments and frustrations of human weakness were experienced by the Lord and motivate His sensitivity to us. And yet we notice the present tenses. He is not subject to weakness now, but in a sense the Lord &ldquo;is&rdquo; because of His total identification with us. In the same sense, He is described as being right now &ldquo;the man Christ Jesus&rdquo; (1 Tim. 2:5). This is so on account of His intense identification with us now, in all our aspects of weakness.</p>