Lenten greetings, Siblings in Christ,
“Jesus wept.” (John 11.35, King James Version)
One of the two shortest verses in the Bible in the original Greek, the verse packs an outsized punch. We’ll hear that phrase this Sunday rendered as “Jesus began to weep” in the story of the Raising of Lazarus.
Tears that reflect emotions are among the characteristics that make us human and separate us from even our closest primate relatives. Perhaps more than anything else, Jesus’ tears mark him as one of us.
Among other things, I wonder if his tears are a sign of his solidarity with a broken world, his frustration at the limits of his power, his sorrow at his own impending death. Even the Savior of the World cannot promise a life without pain and sorrow. How many of us have found ourselves weeping in frustration for the pain of a child, or spouse, or parent, or other loved one, or tragic situation that we cannot prevent, improve, or soothe?
Human life is full of suffering (as well as joy). We are not helpless against it. But it often seems to outrun our ability to catch and subdue it.
But in Jesus, we have One who is with us in our sorrow, who is acquainted with grief, One who is recognizable after he rises from the dead precisely because of the wounds in his hands and sides, whom we receive in the broken pieces of bread in the Eucharist.
As we move closer to Holy Week, may we know that there is One who is with us in our pain, and who can equip us to be with others in theirs.
Faithfully and affectionately,
Nick+
PS. Tied for the other shortest verse: “Rejoice Always.” 1 Thessalonians 5.16….
PPS. Click here for the Tuesday Lenten Preaching series on "The Woman at the Well" at our Cathedral.
