“Jesus wept.”
Every Sunday School truant recognizes these words as the shortest verse in the Bible.
Ask them why He wept, and they will smugly reply, “Because he was sad.”
But really, why did Jesus weep?
Was he a wimp? Not a manly man? Was there another Wal-Mart Grand Opening in town?
His friend Lazarus had died four days earlier. But, here is the mystery – Jesus predicted the death of Lazarus while he was still sick. And, to make the resurrection of Lazarus even more dramatic, Jesus waited an extra two days.
Knowing that he was going to perform such a wondrous miracle in just a few moments, why did Jesus weep?
The answer is really quite simple. Jesus wept because he loved.
Jesus cared about his friend, Lazarus. Jesus cared about his sisters, Martha and Mary. But before Lazarus was resurrected, death separated Jesus from his friend – and because he loved his friend and could not bear the separation, Jesus wept.
Think of it like this. You can’t have a left without a right. You can’t have a valley without a mountain top. And, you can’t have the gift of love without the gift of tears.
Jesus loves us so much that he weeps when we are separated from him.
Jesus can weep because he has love.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank-you for the gift of tears. Thank-you for the gift of love. Thank-you for the gift of eternal life so that I will never be separated from you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Wikipedia: Jesus, Jesus Wept, Lazarus of Bethany.
Look-It Up:
Jesus wept.
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
The complete story of Lazarus is only told in the Gospel of John (John:11:1-44).
Free Bonus:
While discussing the two natures of Jesus, Pope Leo I referred to this passage and stated, “In his humanity Jesus wept for Lazarus; in his divinity he raised him from the dead.”
The length of time that Lazarus was dead is significant. Many people at that time believed that a person’s soul stayed close to their body for three days with the hope of returning. So after four days, Lazarus was really, truly dead.
This prayer is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Courtney Morrel.
Website Links:
- Pray 4 Tears
- http://www.pray440.com/pray-4-tears/
- The Pray 4·40 List
- http://www.pray440.com/the-pray-440-list/
- Zondervan
- http://www.zondervan.com
- John 11:35
- http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:John.11.35
- Psalm 126:5
- http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:Ps.126.5
- Gospel of John
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_John
- John 11:1-44
- http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/?osis=niv:John.11.1-John.11.44
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2015 by Reece B. Morrel, Jr. All rights reserved worldwide.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Notes on Pray 4 Tears: