Jesus Wept

Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 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.

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.”

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!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

John 11:30-37

Does it matter to the Lord whether a rich and powerful man or a poor man dies? No. He cares for both.

Jesus knew He would be raising Lazarus from the death, but that still did not stop Him from grieving. Some Bible scholars think that part of Jesus’ weeping may have been over death itself and the pain and sadness it causes in people’s hearts.

Loss is a part of life. But because Jesus is the “resurrection and the life,” those who believe in Him will one day experience an end to death and sorrow. In the meantime, He weeps with us over our losses and asks us to “weep with those who weep.”

Compassion helps to heal the hurts of others.

Our Daily Bread – January 19, 2014