“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35
If the truth be known, He’s still doing so today.
“Jesus wept.”
Have there ever been any more powerful words ever heard or written than these two words? Think of it: The Lord of Glory. . .Who created all that is. . .able to calm angry winds and white-capping waves by speaking. . .able to make a lame man walk, a blind man see, a deaf man hear and a dead man live. . .weeping. . .briny rivulets of tears streaming down His Face.
“Oh how He loved him (Lazarus),” the mourners whispered that day (v.36)—although others of them, with disgust in their voices said “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even this man should not have died?” (v.37).
Ouch.
They must have been kin to Job’s “friends,” who came to comfort him that day when he’d lost everything (Job 2:11), but ended up being “forgers of lies, physicians of no value” (13:4) and “miserable comforters” (16:2) to him because of their accusatory ways.
But, that’s not why Jesus wept.
He wasn’t some thin-skinned, tin-horned leader who expected everyone to cater to Him and meet His every need. Instead, He came all the way from Glory, “made of Himself no reputation and took upon Himself the form of a slave by humbling Himself so He could obediently go to the Cross in our place” (Phil. 2:7-8).
Why would He do that?
Simply because He loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him.
And that’s why He wept. Martha and Mary’s words (Jn. 11:21, 32) and the mourners’ mocking may have stung His flesh, but their unbelieving ways grieved His heart. And, He still does so today when we live as though He doesn’t exist by presuming on His Grace and too often acting just like everyone around us does.
Dear Pilgrim, do Jesus’ tears move you?
Does the sight of this sinless Son of God weeping over a lost and dying world touch you in the depths of your soul? If so, the question, then, is “Do they move you enough to put Him first on your ‘To Do’ list” (Mt. 6:33)?
Hope so.
You see, so many folks around us live in spiritual darkness. . .never having peace-of-mind. . . living in hopeless despair. . .just wondering if anyone cares. And, who will go to them if we don’t? Who will tell them the Story of Jesus if we don’t??
Come on. Let’s not grieve Jesus’ sweet Holy Spirit today by serving Him only when we can find the time. He deserves our best; so, let’s not disappoint Him.
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated July 19, 2010
