John 11:32 – 35 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. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Have you ever heard this story and asked yourself, “Why was Jesus crying?” After all, He was God. He had the power to call Lazarus back from death. He knew everything was going to be okay.
Yet, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
He wept.
Why did He do that, when He knew the final outcome?
It’s simple, really. I believe that Jesus was moved with compassion. He saw the grief in Mary’s face, and He knew her heart was breaking. He knew she was overcome with sadness, and He cared.
He cared about her pain, and so He cried with her. Even before He fixed things, even before He called Lazarus out of the tomb, He wept.
Friends, He cares about you and me, too! He cares about us the same way He cared about Mary. Yes, He has the power to fix things in our lives. But no matter how He chooses to see us through our problems, we can be sure of one thing: we are not alone. When we hurt, He hurts. When we cry, He cries. He loves us, and He identifies with our grief.
And sometimes, just knowing we are not alone makes all the difference.
Dear Father, Thank You for caring. Thank You for crying with me, and not leaving me alone.
Amen
Beautiful reminder of the Truth!
What an example Jesus left for us in how to relate to those in our lives who are hurting. Sometimes they just need someone to cry with them… and to see that they are not alone. Wonderful insight, Renae.
Thanks, Alyssa and Cheryl!