JESUS WEPT

JESUS WEPT

(A biblical reflection on THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT [YEAR A], April 6, 2014)

Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45 (Shorter version: John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-45)

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalms: Psalm 130:1-8; Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11

The Scripture Text

So the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord he whom You love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it He said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”
Now when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He who is coming into the world.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he had been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. I knew that Thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that Thou didst send me.” When He had said this, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what He did, believed in him. (John 11:3-7,17, 20-27,33-45 RSV)

“Jesus wept” (John 11:35). What was so moving as to cause the King of the universe to weep? What tugged enough at the heart of the Son of God to bring tears to His eyes? John seems to indicate that Jesus was moved by the sight of Mary and the other mourners (John 11:33). Is it possible that Jesus wept because He saw a group of people over whom death seems victorious? Here was a crowd consumed by the hopelessness and finality of death, while the “Resurrection and Life” (John 11:25) stood right in their midst!

Jesus came to offer the promise of resurrection to every human being who believes and trusts in Him. Just as He wept before the tomb of Lazarus, He weeps over all those who are either unaware or unwilling to believe in the eternal life He offers. He is grieved when those He came to rescue from death remain bound in their fears and do not experience freedom or hope.

Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though He die, yet shall he live … Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Jesus wants to ask each one of us: Do you believe this? Do you believe that I have overcome death? Do you believe I can bring freedom in place of bondage to sin? Hope in place of despair? Light in place of darkness?

If we do believe, then know that we can entrust to Jesus all the areas of our lives that are wounded, despairing, or sinful. He has the power to raise up and bring life even to something that seems dead and decaying (see the first reading from the book of Ezekiel). Even in the most hopeless situations, the light of Christ can penetrate the darkness and bring deliverance. All Jesus asks is that we proclaim with Martha, “Yes. Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27). All He asks is that we come out of our graves by confessing our sin and asking Jesus to cleanse us and lift us up to the heavenly Father’s throne.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise You for restoring what was dead in me and for raising me up to new life. Yes, Lord Jesus, I do believe in You. I want to rise with You. Let me know Your presence today. Amen.

Jakarta, 4 April 2014

A Christian Pilgrim