A year or so ago I did a study on the story of Lazarus. Growing up, the words ‘Jesus Wept’, were used to validate a deep emotional grievance or deep pain. If Jesus wept, then I could too. If Jesus grieved, then so could I. And whilst I agree with this: when I studied these scriptures, I couldn’t help but keep wondering why Jesus wept over Lazurus death’ the way he did, and how the cause of his pain was actually quite different to the one liners I was told growing up.
If you are not familiar with the story of Lazarus in the Bible, here is a brief recap. And the full and correct story can be found in John chapter eleven:
“there were two sisters that lived in a town called Bethany, with their brother Lazarus. They were all close friends with Jesus. Jesus was away in another town when Lazarus fell sick, so the sisters sent a message to Jesus so he would come back as they knew he would heal him. When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, he said ‘[His] sickness will not end in death…’(verse 4). And although he loved this family, he stayed away for two more days before going back to Bethany.
Upon his arrival, he was told that Lazarus had died (and been dead for a total of four days). There were many people who had come to the town to comfort the sisters. Martha, the older sister ran out and told Jesus that if he was here earlier, then Lazarus wouldn’t have died.
Again Jesus told her that Lazurus would rise again. The second sister heard Jesus was there, and went out to him grieving and saying the same thing as the first; there is a large crowd of people with her doing the same thing. At this Jesus weeps.
Stating ‘When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. He then goes to Lazarus’ grave. saying: ‘Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?...Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me. ’Jesus then raises Lazarus from the dead.”
Our pain will try to mask the truth
Whilst we cannot say with one hundred percent certainty why Jesus wept, it is presumed that there are two plausible reasons:
- Jesus is moved by the mourning and the fallen world which they live
- The unbelief of the people
This is not the only time in the Bible that Jesus is moved by unbelief. Jesus confronts his disciples in their unbelief in the New Testament and he expresses a significant importance between unbelief and the seeing of the miraculous. And this is not to say that the village of Bethany was wrong to grieve, however I do wonder how different this scene may have looked if in their grief, they had of looked past their own pain and believed that Jesus would do what he said he was going to do.
Hope and belief
Pain is overwhelming. The answers to suffering lie beyond our understanding. There is much to grieve in this world. However, if we are to bring God’s glory to earth we also need to believe that he is who he says he is. If we have no hope in our pain, then it has a tendency to harden our hearts to the belief that God is good.
It is in the midst of our suffering and our deep grief, Jesus asks us to have hope. I write this with grace, admitting that I don’t understand it. But a few hours ago I was rushing across a zebra crossing, stressing about some personal stuff, thinking that if I wasn’t in a rush I would have prayed for a couple of guys sitting in Woolies. As I stepped out to cross the road I was reminded about how Jesus didn’t rush back to Bethany in a panic when he heard that Lazarus was sick, yet it says he still loved him. Jesus knew Lazarus would not die, and he didn’t need to go back to Bethany right away.
Be confident
Don’t you sometimes just get a picture of a modern-day Jesus sitting out in the sun relaxing with his shades on eating some grapes when he hears these things? Okay I’m not entirely sure that’s what Jesus would have been doing, and he probably didn’t have shades, but he was a chill guy, not phased by panic. He so perfectly knew the will of the Father, and he demonstrated this his whole life. And I can say with confidence, that this is teaching me what it looks like to live in a fallen earth, yet growing in my confidence in the glory of God.
He wants us to be encouraged in our grief that he has overcome the world. And there is no situation whatsoever that is hopeless. It can take time, and a whole lot of tissues and chocolate to grasp it, but it’s the truth regardless. We can have absolute hope.
Do not grieve as the world grieves, as though who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Shannon Munyard is home to the Adelaide Hills where she works as a horse riding instructor and equine assisted learning facilitator at a non-for profit youth campsite. Shannon is passionate about authenticity, and seeing people connected to their hearts. She loves the outdoors, bush camping, pondering deep questions and Jesus.