A Time to Weep

A Time to Weep

"Jesus wept"

 John 11:35 NIV

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15 NIV ".... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ..." Ecclesiastes 3:4 NIV When Jesus stood at the grave of his beloved friend, Lazarus, there was a time, he had no words, only tears. He who had all power, all knowledge, all wisdom and knew the work He was going to do in the near future was still moved to demonstrative, public grief. He did not provide answers. He did not preach a sermon. He did not offer advice. He wept with those who were sorrowing. He did not forbade their tears. He wept along with them. For those who know this living Christ, let us not seek to obliterate our humanity by seeking quick answers, easy cliches, the simple fix. He who was fully God and yet fully human, did not seek to avoid the place of grief, the expression of loss. "He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Isaiah 53:3 NAS 1995 He is the one who cried out, with a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “aEli, Eli, lamasabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”Matthew 27:46"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me,     so far from my cries of anguish?" Psalm 22:1 Let us never fear to express our deepest grief into words, even strong words and questions that come crying out of the depths of our being.  "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD."  Psalm 130:1 In the words of Betsie and Corrie Ten Boom suffering in the Nazi camp Ravensbruk,  "... there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. " The Hiding Place When I encounter horrific, senseless cruelty and suffering, let me be as Jesus, to not hesitate to weep with those that weep. Let me be as Jesus who was present and connected with those who were suffering. I can do nothing but show up with Jesus and his love in my heart. Only he can truly minister, comfort and heal. Other writings that have ministered the love of God to me in the depths of my own grief and suffering: Holding Onto Hope by Nancy Guthrie http://www.patheos.com/blogs/homeschoolchronicles/2013/03/on-the-way-to-easter-mourning-with-jesus/ http://natepyle.com/confronting-the-lie-god-wont-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle/ Eugene Peterson A Long Obedinece pg 135 commentary on Psalm 130  http://carm.org/questions/about-jesus/why-did-jesus-cry-out-my-god-my-god-why-have-you-forsaken-me Not only was he unashamed to weep with those who were mourning, but he promises: "Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll -- are they not in your record?" Psalm 56:8 NIV Only this fully God and fully man can promise that one day... "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."  Revelation 21:4 KJV