Jesus Wept

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" John 11: 33-36

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11: 30-57

Man…

This is one of those passages that folks quote when they don’t know any other ones.

Jesus wept.

But the context is pretty interesting. Why did Jesus weep? He wept because he saw the pain that his timing had caused his loved ones.

This was a passage that never meant much to me until now. Jesus got news that Lazarus was sick, he waited four days to take the short journey to heal him, Lazarus dies in the process and now Jesus sees the emotional aftermath. He knew that he would raise Lazarus. He knew that his friend would see the light of day again.

But still, he wept.

I know that many folks who question Christianity do so for this very reason. Christians tend to humanize God to a degree that doesn’t seem to make much logical sense to the casual observer. Why does God care about little old you when there are billions of other people and countless other things to do?

I cannot answer the “why” but this passage shows me that in fact God DOES care. And since God is not a respecter of persons then I know that He feels the same way about me.

And you know what… this is comforting for me.

It comforts me to know that when I am sad or upset about my circumstances Jesus is there weeping with me. He feels my pain and is sad to see me go through it… even if that pain is what is best for me.

I really dig a God who is down for the team like that.