March 11, 2023
“Jesus wept”
– John 11:35
As a man, Jesus wept. He wept over the loss of his friend. He wept when he saw Martha and Mary, grieving at the grave of Lazarus. He understood the depth of their sorrow and he shared it.
Jesus wept. Two simple words. The shortest verse in the Bible, and yet such an intense expression of pain and love. Grief is a universal experience, and yet each person’s grief is individual. The Gospels tell us that Jesus wept twice, once overlooking Jerusalem, which would reject him, and at the death of his close friend Lazarus.
But that doesn’t mean Jesus did not weep on other occasions, when he saw the pain that people experienced with the loss of a loved one. He certainly wept because his message was one of love and compassion and those are two heartfelt responses to anyone who grieves. And an assurance that even today, he understands our grieving and shares it.
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In our sorrow, we all will weep over our loss. It is an expression of our grief that even Jesus shares with us.