Jesus wept
Today's focusJesus, who knew he would raise Lazarus, still groaned and wept with the grieving; tears are not a lack of faith, and Jesus enters our sorrow with us.
Read
32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35Jesus wept. 36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
Reflection
In this passage, we see Mary fall at the feet of Jesus in deep sorrow, expressing the heavy weight of her loss. When Jesus sees her "weeping," he does not stand distant or detached. Even though he has the power to change the situation, he is deeply moved by the grief surrounding him. The text says he "groaned in the spirit, and was troubled." He does not tell the mourners to stop their crying; instead, he enters into the heaviness of the moment with them.
The shortest sentence in this account, "Jesus wept," reveals the heart of your Savior. His tears show that your sorrow is not a sign of weak faith, nor is it something you must hide from him. Those watching noted, "Behold how he loved him!" Jesus knows the pain of losing a friend, and he chooses to share in that pain. Today, you can know that Jesus is not standing far off. He meets you in your place of mourning, standing beside you with a love that is willing to weep.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
What does it mean to you that Jesus wept with those who grieved, even knowing what he was about to do?
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank you that you wept with Mary and Martha. You know the pain of loss, and you are not far from mine. Let me bring my tears to you without shame.