Jesus Wept

Man, I've been seeing so much hurt around me lately. Car accidents, deaths, cancer, divorce, tornadoes, earthquakes, devastation. Then there are the not so obvious hurts, the ones we all hold inside of us but rarely speak of. Sometimes there are people in our lives who can comfort us through the pain, but many times we resolve to suffer and cope in silence.Christ tells us to "cast our burdens on Him, for He cares for [us]" Too often we bear much of our burdens on our own. We may offer God part of our load, but rarely do we give him the whole thing. I am guilty of this as well. I have a bad habit of viewing God as a disappointed Father, knowing that I don't measure up to His commands. I fail to see how compassion and empathetic He is. He is the very definition of understanding. He feels our pain just as strongly as we do.

John 11:11-35
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.


Whenever I read this story in the past I always assume Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus. But this morning while I read this familiar passage I really notice the moment when Jesus began weeping. He didn't cry when He knew Lazarus had died, in fact He said that he would live again. But "when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." He asked where he was laid, and THEN Jesus wept. I can't help but think that Jesus wasn't mourning the death of a friend he knew he would see that same day alive. He was crying because he saw Mary's pain and the pain of her friends and His heart was broken for them.

Jesus can see our pain just the same. His heart breaks for us and weeps for us. We can give our Lord our full burdens and rest in Him knowing that He is the only who really does understand our pain. In fact, He feels our pain just as strongly as we feel it. This greatly encouraged me today. God is a compassionate and empathetic God and He never forgets about us. Even when we fail Him He knows our hearts. All He feels for us is love, and when we cry, so does He.