Revelation 21:1-6a ; John 11:32-44
Let us weep together
Today, the author of John’s Gospel gives us permission to weep, to let tears flow from our eyes, to express the emotions we usually try to hide. John tells us, “Jesus began to weep.” Or, “Jesus wept.”
I assure you that scholars are divided on how to interpret
this little sentence. We usually think of weeping as silent tears falling from
the eyes. But in ancient times, weeping was noisy boo-hoo-ing. Because of this
difference, some scholars say Jesus was angry, more dismissive of the crowd
than sad. The word used in the Greek is dakruo, tears falling from the
eyes, demonstrating deep sadness. Jesus is grieving the death of his good
friend.
I think that Jesus spends a lot of time with these three,
Lazarus, Martha and Mary, because they feel free to say what they are really
thinking. Only with good friends do we speak as bluntly as Martha and Mary do. “If
you had been here …!” both women say. In other words, “I’m angry with you,” They
believe that Lazarus’ death is Jesus’ fault.
Because of this close relationship, I also think that
Lazarus is the “One Jesus loved” at the end of the Gospel. When Jesus said to
Mary and the beloved disciple, “This is your son; this is your mother,” I
believe Jesus is talking to Mother Mary and good friend Lazarus.
With these assumptions of close relationship, I think it
would have been hard for Jesus to not have tears flowing from his eyes,
even though he knows the rest of the story ahead of time.
… It’s natural for us to have tears when someone we love is
seriously ill or dies. It’s natural to have tears when we remember them, even
years later. That makes today, All Saints Sunday, a day when it is easy to let
tears fall.
I don’t know about you, but I find great comfort in the fact that Jesus was weeping at the thought of Lazarus dying. It helps us know that Jesus/God knows what it feels like to be human. While Jesus walked the earth, he knew all about being human: the joys and sorrows, the hungers and the satisfactions, about conflicts and peace. When we believe God understands us, it is easier to trust God, and to be comforted by knowing God loves us.
And it’s easier to believe that death is not the last action we will have in this life. Jesus calls his beloved friend out of the tomb, calls him to life again. The sisters saw it, and rejoiced. The crowd saw it, too. Many of them believed. But some of them went to tell the Pharisees, who would be angry at this latest sign of Jesus’ power.
… The last verses of the book of Revelation bring
us some amazing promises.
- · God dwells with us
- · We are God’s people
- · God will be with us
- · God will wipe away every tear
- · Death will be no more
- · Mourning and crying and pain will be no more
Can you imagine what it would be like? A place and space and
time when no one is weeping? A place and space and time when all we feel is
love? Maybe then we’ll be weeping with joy instead of pain and sadness.
This week, I hope you will allow yourselves to feel the emotions
that remembering loved ones brings on. Go ahead and weep; smile through your
tears; hug loved ones; and tell the stories as you remember. Let others comfort
you – they are Jesus’ own arms wrapped in those we love.
Remember that if – since – God can raise us up from death, God’s purposes will triumph. The cross is empty because Jesus was raised from the tomb, much to the surprise of those who watched him die. We can trust God to make whatever happens come out all right, because Jesus knows what it’s like to be us. Amen
