John 11: Jesus Wept

Jesus wept.  (John 11:35)

(Context: Jesus is kneeling at the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus, just before raising him to life again).

These make it into some of the more famous words from the Bible.  The trivia lovers will point out that it's the shortest verse in the Bible, but that is by no means the most significant thing about this verse.

Jesus knew that Lazarus was going to die.  And Jesus knew that he was going to raise him to life again.  He tells his disciples: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (11:4), and “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” (11:11).

Jesus' primary mission was not to heal people of their physical sickness and raise them from physical death.   The healings he performed, the way the winds and waves obeyed him, and the way in which he restored life to Lazarus, were a sign of who he was, his divine authority, and his mission.  He came as the Son of God - fully divine - to give sight to the spiritually blind so that they can see the kingdom of Heaven, to provide life-sustaining nutrition to the soul through his death on the cross, and to give eternal life, conquering even death itself.  He both validated and illustrated his claims though these signs.

But doesn't this sound rather impersonal?  Isn't there a person or people at the centre of every healing, every miracle?  Are these individuals not more than just pawns in a very practical sermon illustration, just existing so that Jesus can make a point?  And what does that say about all those Jesus doesn't perform miracles on - do they not qualify for Jesus' divine intervention because they're not needed to tell the theological Jesus story?

If that were the only side of the story, then these observations would be, I think, very just.  But whilst God works at this amazing 'macro-level' to reveal himself to us over history, the personal side of the story is just as true and just as important.  Jesus wept for Lazarus, because although he is the resurrection and the life, death is not.  It is sad.  It hurts.  And Jesus was mourning Lazarus with his friends.  

And this is an essential part of Jesus becoming human.  You can have all the compassion in the world, but there's something about having walked in someone's shoes that makes someone truly able to understand, to empathise, and to help, as the writer of Hebrews writes: we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

We cannot discern the full wisdom of God in every situation.  It is insensitive, futile, and wrong to pretend to know exactly why a person is experiencing suffering.  We trust that God has a plan, but it is the height of arrogance to suggest we know what that is.

What I do believe we can know, however, is that Jesus weeps with us and for us.  God knows the plan for our lives - he knows specifically why and how 'our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all' (2 Corinthians 4:17).  Yet despite this, I believe he still weeps for our sufferings, longing to bring us to himself.  Jesus is Emmanuel - that is 'God with us'.  God being with us is not just the fact that he physically walked on this earth 2000 years ago, but the fact that he has walked the path of human frailty and is walking alongside us, feeling our pain.

And that is how we should approach others who are suffering - but first sharing in their pain and sorrow.  Sure, there are sometimes things we can do to help people practically, but not with lofty sentiments about God's plan (that's for God to reveal), but feeling their pain and sorrow.  Jesus walked with people.  We should do the same.