He Understood Their Sorrow

I remember as a child being taught “the shortest verse in the bible”. It was easy to remember because it was only 2 words: Jesus wept.

But it wasn’t until more recently that I realized there are other short verses that we could have learned and still can.

I love these simple commands. Short, sweet and to the point!

Rejoice always. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Remember Lot’s wife. - Luke 17:32

Jesus wept. - John 11:35

Have you ever wondered why Jesus wept? In my childhood mind I think I assumed it was over the state of mankind; sin and sinners; the lost versus the saved. I confess I did not give the rest of that chapter much thought when I was younger.

Why did Jesus weep?

Did He weep for the same reason we weep when someone close to us dies?

When we lose a spouse, a child, a friend, it breaks our heart. Deep grief causes deep pain in the palms of my hands, and the tears will not stop. And, although the Bible is not explicit in the reason Jesus wept, I believe it was because of His great compassion for those who were broken with that grief.

Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus and the brother of Mary and Martha. When Lazarus fell ill and died, Jesus arrived at their home in Bethany four days after his death. As Jesus saw the grief and mourning of Mary, Martha, and the others who were present, he was deeply moved by their sorrow.

Jesus wept out of compassion and empathy for the pain and sorrow of those around Him. Even though Jesus knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, He still felt the weight of the human condition and the emotions that come with loss.

I also believe the very act of weeping showed Jesus' humanity and His understanding of the human experience. It demonstrated His deep love and concern for His friends and highlights the emotional depth of His character. Despite knowing the miraculous outcome that was about to unfold, He entered into their grief and shared in their sadness.

I have good friends who shared an experience of being delayed in moving back to the west coast. The reason became clear when dear friends of theirs lost a son to death.

My friends told of going to the home of the grieving parents and just sitting with them. There was no need for conversation; there was no need to try and comfort with words. What was needed was a friend to simply sit with them in the tears and through the silence, just sit and share in the grief and sadness. That is exactly what Jesus was doing! He was sharing in the sorrow.

“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

“And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

“So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” John 11:32-37 ESV

Powerful!

Even amongst the Jews there was not a general consensus. On one hand, “look at the compassion Jesus has”. On the other hand, doubt, and accusation.

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

“Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

“So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

“When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

“The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:38-44 ESV

Jesus wept.

This verse serves as a powerful reminder that Jesus is not only the divine Son of God but also the compassionate and empathetic Savior who shares in our sorrows and joys. It shows without a shadow of doubt His ability to understand and connect with us on a profound emotional level.

This was not the only time the Bible talks about Jesus weeping, and we will take a look at that in more detail tomorrow.

by Jeanette Stark – Thursday, August 3, 2023