The second lesson from the key verse may hit closer to home. Have we stopped to ask ourselves why did Jesus weep at this particular instance in the Gospels? Many would say that it was because His friend Lazarus was dead. While I can see that I think it misses the mark. Remember, it was Jesus who delayed in coming to Lazarus, specifically because He knew that he would pass away and God would be glorified in his being raised from the dead. Remember also that Jesus knew full well that He was about raise Lazarus from the dead. No, I think Jesus wept at this point because of His friends and their mourning. Here are some of the preceding verses to the key verse:
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
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. John 11: 21; 32-33 (NIV)
If only you had been here. His friends falling at His feet in tears. He shouldn't be dead. Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. They were His friends. He cared deeply for them. The end result here is that He was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled." Jesus wept because His friends were hurting. He wept because He cared about the turmoil His friends were going through and felt their pain. Let me close the devotional today by suggesting that we do not often do this very well in the modern church. We are sometimes better at creating peripheral friendships than real ones. We can more easily say that we will "pray for you" but maybe not take the time out of our own lives to actually spend time with someone. To see their tears. To feel their pain.
Jesus wept to show us what should really matter in our lives. What is truly worth weeping over. In our society we cry over our careers, our 401K plan, the economy, or even such trivial things as our favorite sports team. But then when faced with a brother or sister who is living their lives in pain, we can often shut it out. Or use trite Christianisms to ease their suffering. When Jesus saw His friends crying, He did not say, "Well the joy of the Lord is your strength!" He didn't say, "Well, you just got to walk in the spirit!" No; instead He said, "take me to your pain":
"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. John 11: 34 (NIV)
Where have you laid your sorrow? Where have you entombed your pain? Where is the source of your grief let me go there. Let me go and see what I can do to ease your suffering. Not just on the periphery but at the heart. This was how Jesus envisioned His church. Lifting each other up. Supporting each other. Early on here is how the church was described:
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Acts 4: 32-35 (NIV)
Our greatest needs are not material in nature. They are emotional. They are in our soul. But as Christians sometimes we only know how to speak to each other's spirit. We over-Christianize everything. The soul doesn't need a Scripture but it may need a hug. The soul doesn't need doctrine recited to it but it may need someone to spend some real time with. To mourn with. To weep with.
Realize that the Gospel account could have just had Jesus come to town and raise Lazarus and everything would be fine. God would be glorified and His power would be evident for all to see. But the Gospel pauses for two simple words in verse 35 to assure us of what kind of God it is that we serve. A God who is intimately connected to us and is genuinely concerned about what troubles us. But it also pauses to remind us who we are supposed to be to each other. We should not be the religious leaders who walked by the wounded man in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. People who can see someone lying in a pool of blood and walk on by. But unfortunately we see it every day in the church. We see our brother or sister lying in their emotional pool of blood and walk right on by. Maybe we can offer up a platitude or Christianism. Maybe we will assure them we will pray for them and maybe we even actually do. Then we run back to our own little world and think that we have done our religious duty.
And we have. But we have not done our Christian duty. Being Christian should not be about religiosity but about people. About stopping our lives long enough to weep. About caring if our brother or sister is in pain. Jesus wept and I thank God that He did because it assures me that I serve a caring God and teaches me that if I truly aspire to be more Christ-like then I too must care. I too must weep.
Reverend Anthony Wade December 26, 2011
