I am inspired by Jesus’ words and actions in John 11. Word comes to Jesus that Lazarus, a dear friend of his, is sick, and in verse four Jesus begins by telling us the end of the story. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4) are Jesus’ words. From the start everything Jesus does is rooted in His knowledge of how this will end. He knew Lazarus would live again and it would be for God's glory. So after the news of Lazarus’s sickness comes Jesus waits for Lazarus to die.
When at
last Jesus arrives in the town of Bethany, and he meets Lazarus’ sisters Martha and
Mary, he does not offer up vague platitudes. He does not make excuses or
give well intended but empty words. He cries with them (John 11:35). Even
though Jesus knows the sisters’ grief will soon be turned to awe, the
Lord God Almighty-Creator of the Universe-now human, weeps with them. He is
present with them in their grief. He is not bothered by their mourning or their lack of His eternal perspective, He is not uncomfortable with their emotions, He instead meets them where they are in their grief. And that
is awesome. I want to be like Jesus for others. Just as the Lord has met with
me in my times of grief, I want to be able to meet others too.
In 1 Corinthians 12:26 Paul writes “If one member
suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice
together with it” and again in Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.” In a world where people are uncomfortable with each other’s
grief, may we the Church incarnate the truth of being there with those who mourn,
of grieving with those who grieve. May we be known as a Church who weeps well
together.
I am
still in the process of discovering how to embody this truth and follow Jesus
in walking in the ways of His Kingdom. Will you walk with me? Can we as the
Church walk together in our grief and learning to grieve?
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