In my reading today, I came across a short little verse that stopped
me dead in my tracks and penetrated my heart to the very core...
John 11:35, "Jesus wept."
Now why, you might say, did such a small verse affect you in such a big
way?? Because there are times in my life, and probably in yours too, where
it seems like you are all alone with not a human soul to understand how
you are hurting as you break out in tears. The land of tears is such a
secret place, amen? And then the precious Word of God reminds you that
Jesus too, wept, and can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities...
He alone can enter your secret place! We are reminded of both the humanity
of Christ and the magnitude of love and concern of God for His people
in such a small verse, amen? What comfort then floods your soul when you
realize that there is One who knows, One who is with you in your sorrows
and human frailties and most certainly, One who cares!
Isaiah 63:9 says, "In all their affliction he was afflicted...."
Ladies, Jesus Christ has entered into all of our experiences and knows
how we feel. He experiences these things in a deeper way than we do because
He is God. Isaiah 53:3 states that Christ was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. Hence, He is a God that listens compassionately to our problems...
Can you remember a time when the Lord gave you comfort in the middle of
a sad time in your life? What is our response to such love?
Psalm 18:6, "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my
God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him,
even into his ears."
Psalm 22:24, "For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of
the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried
unto him, he heard."
There are two responses in our behavior that naturally follow this understanding
of God and that God is pleased to see spring forth in our lives. First
of all, it awakens in us a response to open up to the Lord and pour out
our souls before Him in prayer, to talk to Him about our sorrow and pain.
Our loving heavenly Father wants us to know we are never alone, to understand
that He will share all our troubles with us. He does not want us to keep
them locked up inside but rather to cast them all upon Him! What sweet
relief takes over when we with heavy heart find someone who will listen
sincerely and lovingly to our concerns, amen? Someone who also has wept
as we have, someone who is truly sympathetic. Yes, our Lord's tears are
evidence of His great love for us - we can respond no other way but to
tell Him all of our troubles in the face of such love! It reminds me of
one of my favorite hymns I've included below:
I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus all of my troubles,
He is a kind, compassionate Friend.
If I but ask Him, He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end.
Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
He all my cares and sorrows will share.
O how the world to evil allures me!
O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the victory to win.
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
The second response that such a small verse can stir within us is one
of becoming sympathetic and compassionate toward others ourselves, more
sensitive to those around us that are hurting. What is your usual response
to struggling individuals who are heavy hearted, burdened with a load
of care? Are you the type that only wants to be around those in a good
mood, or do you feel for the hurting? Once you've experienced the Lord's
loving hand of concern in your personal life, you'll realize through His
example that you've been taught by Him that we are not to leave one another
alone in our distresses....
Acts 20:35, "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought
to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how
he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that
weep."
"Jesus wept" is a verse that teaches us to become burden bearers. Jesus
wept because of His ability to feel the weight of our concerns. Are you
using your strength as a Christian to help people? Are others assured
of your sympathy? So often, we look down our noses at weaker members of
the family of God and wonder why they can't behave as strongly as we think
they should, but did you ever think about reaching out to them with some
of that strength you are so smug in? Our Lord, the One who is strongest
of all, reached down to us when we were at our weakest, let's follow His
perfect example!
Romans 15:1, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of
the weak, and not to please ourselves."
Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law
of Christ."
Jesus Christ wants to develop in His children compassion. The compassion
that was clearly seen in His concern for others...
For the multitudes - Mt. 9:36, 14:14, 15:32
For the unfortunate - Mt. 20:34
For Jerusalem - Mt. 23:37
For the leper - Mk. 1:41
For the bereaved - Luke 7:13, Jn. 11:35
Today, as you consider the verse "Jesus wept", I hope that you will also
consider your heart's response to this precious truth. Has it prompted
in you a total abandonment in casting your cares upon Him? He knows how
you feel! Have you humbly realized that you just can't bear your burdens
alone, you MUST tell Him in order to go on? Do you understand that He
is a kind, compassionate friend as the hymn so rightly describes our God?
He still loves you even in your affliction, He has not turned away...
Lastly, have you taken the compassion that the Lord has liberally extended
toward you and reached out to support that one in your sphere of influence
who is weak right now? Or have you made them feel as if you only want
something to do with them when they are strong? We are to rejoice with
one another AND weep with one another the Bible says. Today, I for one
am glad that Jesus wept, for I have learned much from His tears! I hope
you have too.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
