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.

Please, Please, Please!

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. – Luke 22: 39-44

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 14-15; Luke 22: 21-46

Man… this is not a good look.

Jesus knew the end was near and that Judas and Peter would betray him. He must have felt terrible.

But what did he do? He prayed.

The prayer and what happens afterward are interesting to me. He did ask God to get him out of the situation. I mean really... who wouldn't?

But he also said, “yet not my will, but yours be done”.

And then what happens next? An angel appears to comfort him.

Sigh…

Obviously, based on my previous posts, I have no answers when it comes to choice versus destiny. There is something profoundly mysterious about what Jesus says in that prayer. If it had been me I’d have hit God with the “please, please, please”.

But Jesus is more gangsta than I.

What I do think I understand is what happens with the angel. It is comforting to know that when we are going through a tough time God will send an angel to us. Maybe that angel will provide a way out of that trial. Maybe that angel will come in the form of a friend or stranger to give us advice or comfort. Maybe the angel will do something altogether unexpected.

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that when we ask for help, help will come in the form that we need most.

Even if it is answering a different need then we asked for.