Jesus Wept
Growing up in church, we were encouraged to learn Bible verses. I had a good memory, and I loved learning God's word so it wasn't a problem.
As kids, we often joked about learning John 11:35. It's a simple verse "Jesus wept." That's the whole verse right there. Everyone knew that verse because it was easy to learn.
Now, 50 something years later, This verse has more meaning than I ever thought possible as a child and teenager.
Then I learned the verse, for no other reason, than it was simple.
However, as I have gone through life, I have been brought to the realization
that sometimes life is harsh
and sometimes the reality of this life makes us sad and we want to cry.
We, however, live in an era when we are chided, put down and told that crying is a sign of weakness.
Weeping is a bad, taboo; don't do it.
If you're sad, you have a problem.
But, the problem with that logic is that Jesus wept. God, the creator of the universe, the one by whom and through whom all things have their existence, wept.
Why? What made him sad?
The loss of a friend, Lazarus
and others who were hurt by the loss of their friend.
But also, the people that were living in darkness. For, Jesus also wept over Jerusalem.
I think Jesus was also saddened by the unbelief if the people who were close to him.
The point is that Jesus was sad.
If Jesus as completely human was sad, we can be assured that crying and being sad is okay; for we know that He was without sin.
In fact, if it was ok for the Almighty God to be sad, to deny sadness is to say that you are better than God.
So I will unashamedly say "Yes I weep sometimes, and yes sometimes the circumstances of life make me sad.
Seeing hard hearts makes me sad
Watching a friend lose a loved one makes me weep
Seeing injustice makes me sad and sometimes cry
And it's ok because sometimes that sadness spurs me to action;
to revaluate priorities and see things in a new light.
So when you encounter those things that hurt you, go ahead give yourself permission to be sad; to mourn; to weep.
It's okay.
Afterall, you're not better than the one who made you.
Just make sure you don't put down roots there because God also never intended us as Christians to live in sadness. "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."
