A very early childhood memory of mine is the morning I awoke to the sounds of my mother in the kitchen crying. I went out into the kitchen. My father sat at the table silently and my mother was trying to keep busy at the sink and stove, all the while weeping and sobbing. Without a word I began crying too.
It wasn’t until several minutes later that I was told my mother’s friend had passed away. I simply knew that my mother was sad and I joined in with the grieving.
When grief and distress enters into our lives there is often very little another person can do to help resolve the situation and make the sorrow go away. Sometimes the only thing that can be done, and the only thing that really helps, is to join in the grieving. Such is the situation for Jesus when he discovers that his friend Lazarus is dead. What does Jesus do? What does that say about Jesus?
I have often made jokes about John 11:35. It is the shortest verse in the Bible and I have made comments and claims that it is the only verse in the Bible I am able to memorize.
In truth, however, the tiny verse is very significant. Even though it is the shortest verse in the Bible, I believe the two words speak volumes. They indeed tell us that Jesus loved his friend, Lazarus. But I feel they say more than that. They show us that Jesus – even though he is God – has the very deep and real ability to have sympathy and tenderness for each of us.
Jesus wept for the loss of his friend. I believe Jesus joins us in our weeping as well. When we suffer a loss, when we experience pain, when we feel sorrows, we can turn to our Lord and know that he completely understands what we are going through. He joins in our sorrows, and that is a great comfort to us.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you grieve with those who are grieving?
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