Out Our Way: Jesus wept

John 11:35 "When Jesus saw her weeping and those who came with her also weeping, He groaned in His spirit and was troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept."

Out our way, we sometimes discover that some animals have emotions not unlike our own. You may recall that incident at one fall roundup when Charlie and I were gathering the herd to move down to the winter pasture. Naturally, as the "greenhorn preacher/cowhand" I rode drag, and bringing up the rear was "the Good Old Boys Club," our gathering of bulls whom I was also sent to push. It wasn't a difficult task, as the bulls were done breeding and no longer "on the fight," so I quickly got them up and headed them out. But suddenly one bull stopped and began bawling while the other bulls also stopped and stood around him. Riding up to try to get them moving again I discovered that the crying bull was standing by the skeleton of an old cow. He kept sniffing the skull and then raising his head and letting out a mournful wail. I may have read too much into it, but I heard heartache and grief in that loud bawling. And I felt grief as well.

This week, it is my turn. My eldest son has just entered hospice and is expected to die within the next week or so. He has been sick for some time. I have taken him to his doctor several times, the Emergency Room seven times, and this last time they hospitalized him. Then, this week, I was told his organs are all failing and he is dying. Today, he is being taken to a hospice center nearby, where he will be kept as comfortable as possible and is expected to die in the next few days. Suddenly the image of that old bull crying his heart out came to mind and inside that is what I am doing as well.

"But you're a Christian and a minister ... shouldn't you be immune to such grief? Where is your faith?" And as I pondered this, God sent me the shortest verse in the Bible: " Jesus wept."

Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus, as were his sisters, Mary and Martha. They were close to the Lord and dedicated followers. Yet, like my son, a sudden inexplicable illness came upon him. The doctors did all they could but, like my son, they could not help. Lazarus died, as will my son it seems. Jesus came but Lazarus was already dead and buried in his tomb. His friend was dead and those who so loved him were devastated. Jesus came and found, like that bawling bull, sounds of anguish and grief. And Jesus also wept! 

Why did Jesus grieve? Was He not the Messiah, the Son of God? Everyone cried out to him, "If you had been here, Lazarus would not have died!" In short: "why did you allow this to happen?" And Jesus wept. But maybe not for the same reasons as we do.

Like that bawling bull up on the Tiger Ridge, we feel the emptiness and despair of a loved one's death and dying. But Jesus feels it too. Though He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He felt the anguish and despair of Mary, Martha, and all the others who wept at Lazarus' death. He feels my pain and because He loves me, He weeps with me. He weeps with you too.

But knowing He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, perhaps he wept for Lazarus as well. The scripture does not tell us much about life after death, but it alludes to it in the parable of " Lazarus and the Rich Man" (Luke 16:19-31). In Jewish theology, the place of the dead is divided into two sections: "Gehenna and Paradise." Gehenna is a palace of torment for the unrighteous, while Paradise - which means " Garden" - is where the righteous go to await the final resurrection. 

Lazarus was surely in Paradise when Jesus came to the tomb, and to raise him from the dead for the sake of his friends' faith meant pulling him away from the place of peace, joy, and wholeness, and returning him to this plane of existence with all its trials, hardships, etc. Perhaps Jesus wept for Lazarus needing to leave Paradise to return and continue here for a time when he had already run his race and won his prize.

Jesus weeps for me as He "saw every teardrop when in darkness I cried," and, because He loves me, He weeps with me because I am still, like that old bull, bawling in heartache and devastation. He knows this is temporary, but He knows for all my faith, I do not. But from Lazarus' story I seek to believe He does not weep for my son, but hastens to gather his grandmother, grandfather and many others who will await to welcome him.

I am that old bull bellowing in anguish at the moment. I join Mary and Martha and the others weeping at the tomb. "But one day I will know as I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Be blessed and be a blessing.

Brother John

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way." He can be reached for comment or dialogue at [email protected].