Jesus Weeps With You

Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Isaiah 31:13

Is anyone out there hurting today? Is the pain agonizing or have you gone numb to avoid it? Has anyone lost someone to death, feel alone, tired of struggling with the same problem over and over again? Yesterday I mourned with a family so dear to me at the funeral of their father. Where is Jesus when this is happening? The pastor at the funeral shared the story of Lazarus to show us the heart of Jesus in these times.

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 11:32-37

Jesus knew the end of the story, just like we know the end of the story for those who follow Jesus in this life. We can boldly proclaim "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:565-57) We know that those we lose in Christ are in heaven and we will be with them one day. We know that our present struggles will be gone when Christ comes back to take us to live with him. We have hope.

Mary also knew full well that there was life after death for her brother. She said "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (John 11:24) Yet, she wept.

Jesus knew that Lazarus wouldn't just rise on the last day - He was going to rise TODAY! Yet, Jesus does not skip about as he sees everyone mourning for Lazarus, He feels their pain, and was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (John 11:33) Jesus wept with the family. He knew Lazarus would be up and moving in a couple of moments, but he always cares when he sees people in pain. He cares about your pain. He reminds you that it will not be forever to encourage you, but while you are going through the trial, I am sure that Jesus will weep with you as he did with Mary. That is what I usually want when I'm suffering, someone to be willing to be with me through it and Jesus promise to be with us always is still true when we are in agony. Take the chance and trust him. Jesus understands pain and knows how to comfort the hurting:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

Resting in his arms,
amber