Matins Devotion: March 3, 2025

John 11:17-37

Why does Jesus weep over the death of Lazarus when He knows He’s about to lift Him back to life? I’ve heard some people suggest that Jesus is simply displaying something like sympathy tears. The idea is that, because He doesn’t weep until He sees the sorrow of those grieving,  He sees the sorrow that has consumed Mary and Martha after the death of their brother, and because He loves them He shares their grief. But surely Jesus wouldn’t be so overcome with emotion over a problem He knows He’s about to solve?

Well, sure, Jesus doesn’t weep until He sees their weeping. But I still think this is a rather short-sighted explanation that comes from failing to understand the human nature of Jesus fully. Sure, we might not respond with tears of our own sorrow if we knew we were going to end the sorrow in a few minutes. But that’s not because we’re deeply human. It’s because we’re insufficiently human. When we can’t appreciate sorrow that isn’t going to last, or when we can’t seem to be able to share the sorrows of those suffering far away, this is simply a matter of sin twisting and contorting the emotions God gave us, with selfishness preventing us from loving the way God created us to love.

Jesus, on the other hand, has no sin. He has no corruption. Nothing in Him is twisted. Lazarus was not made to die. But Lazarus died, and so Jesus genuinely grieves from the depths of His soul over the death of His friend, all the while knowing He won’t let death claim His friend. That’s the kind of love man was created to have for His brother. That’s the love Jesus has for Lazarus. And it’s the love He has for you.

So, when you suffer, even if Jesus doesn’t take your suffering away in that moment, your Lord suffers. He grieves over your afflictions more than your loved ones, all the while knowing He will one day take that suffering away. When your heart is broken, His heart also breaks, even while knowing that He will one day dry your tears forever. It’s a mystery, but a beautiful one. It may be the Lord’s will for you to suffer for a time, but because He suffered for you upon the cross, He will one day deliver you into the Kingdom where His desires for you are perfectly fulfilled, the kingdom where Lazarus lives forever, the kingdom where your joy will never die.