Jesus Cried
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[a] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32When 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."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
Reflection of Bee:
Jesus wept because of the living (v34), not because of the dead. For He knew that Lazarus will resurrect again if he is a believer of Christ (v25, 26).
I also have the tendency to weep when I see others weep. To Christians death is considered "asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). When Jesus comes back again, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is comforting for those whose loved ones are dead, if they have believed in Christ before they die.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You can feel our sorrows. When I was weeping, You wept too. Thank You for the hope that we will be with You when we die. I don't know exactly how heaven will be like, but I know that I will be with You and that's enough for me.
Come quickly, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Reflection of Tommy:
Someone I know recently lost his girlfriend through a car accident. As I went to her memorial service, I found out how wonderful and nice this person was through the eulogy from her friends. Many shed tears when recalling the times they have spend with this always warm and cheerful person that has touched their lives in many ways.
In today passage, we see how even Jesus wept, thus, it's ok for us to cry and grief while remembering those who has left us. But as Christian, we know that there shall be an end to death, sorrow, crying and pain when Christ returns (Rev. 21:4). We can look forward to that hope; to be reunited once again with our loved ones in heaven.
Dear Father, thank You for Your promise to end all pain and suffering when you create new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Meanwhile, teach me to appreciate and love those around me more. May my every words and action be guided by the love of Christ, bringing glory and honor to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
