The Reality of Tears
Opening Prayer
Father of all mercies, God of all comfort, I bless Your name. I thank You for steadfast faith and sure hope.
Read John 11:28-44
[28]
Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
How comfortable are you with the expression of really strong emotion? Reflect on how you react when you see scenes of powerful grief, anger or joy.
Think Further
Cultures differ so much in the expression of powerful emotion. Western cultures tend to encourage restraint, at least in public, while Eastern cultures (though not all) tend to be less inhibited. This passage is interesting from this perspective because of the differences between the sisters and Jesus. There was no mention of Martha weeping in yesterday’s passage. Today, however, Mary does not hold back her tears as she throws herself at Jesus’ feet with the same words, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” On her lips they sound more like an angry accusation, a bursting of the dam that held her feelings back while she sat with her Jewish comforters.
Jesus shows no restraint. John uses very powerful language in verses 33 and 38 to describe Jesus’ feelings, prompted by his empathy with Mary and her comforters. He knows what will happen to Lazarus very shortly, and yet he weeps for their weeping. Their sorrow becomes his, and he wants them to see it. Looking back to verse 4 (picked up here in verse 40), we realize that somehow the pathway through terrible sorrow is necessary, so that God may finally be glorified by our deliverance. And Jesus weeps with us on that way, until the moment when “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (5:25).
Jesus’ action with Lazarus–and Lazarus’s action in response!–mirrors that promise in John 5. What a glorious hope to have! In the meantime, we cannot do better than Mary, whose customary posture, it seems, is at Jesus’ feet (32). See how she is described in Luke 10:39 and in John 12:3, as well as here. Here she brings to him her great sorrow, stored up and then poured out with honesty.
Apply
What strong feeling might Jesus be longing to share with you? Allow him to see it today, and sense his reaction.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, You understand my strong emotions of loss. I cast my care upon You so that I may know Your strength and consoling love.
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