I have learned through many bad life experiences to grow "thick skin", to grieve for a moment and let things go, to know that in due time wounds heal. I have learned not to be so weak, God is greater- so why cry? I was taught that too much mourning was a sign of defeat. "Hold your head high, and keep pressing forward".
John 11:1-44 gives us the story of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. It is an amazing story in which Jesus raises Lazarus (who had been in the tomb 4 days). A couple days before that both Mary and Martha had gone to tell Jesus that their brother was sick. It is the natural human response to run to go see those who are about to leave us for good, but Jesus sent them off and stayed two more days where he was at. In verse 14 he tells his disciples that Lazarus is dead (he had not reached Mary and Martha yet to be able to have known this). In verse 20 Martha runs to Jesus and tells him Lazarus is gone, BUT that she knows whatever Jesus asks of God, God will give him. Jesus then asked Martha if she believed Jesus was the son of Christ, the resurrection and the life. She says yes.
In verse 32 Mary comes to meet Jesus and tells him that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had arrived days earlier. Thats it. No buts. Mary, the woman who risked everything when she anointed the feet of Jesus, was now grieving for the loss of her brother. In that moment her whole world had collapsed, and her faith possibly gone. She could do nothing but cry. And thats when Jesus begins to cry. I find it odd that Jesus cried, when in verse 11 he tells his disciples that Lazarus is just sleeping, and that he will go and wake him up. So many people have preached this message and have said that Jesus cried because the "one who he loved" (verse 1) died, but that doesn't make sense when He knew that he was going there to raise Lazarus. So why did he cry?
He cried because of Mary and the others grieving. Verse 33 says that when he say them he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. He began to cry, not for Lazarus, but because the others around him where distressed, saddened, and their pain was inconsolable. He could have called them all fools for not believing, but instead he took the time to grieve with them. Their hurt moved him to tears. I don't have to be strong all the time. IT IS OKAY TO CRY! It is okay to grieve, because God is moved by tears. He doesn't expect us to handle it all. He expects us to have faith like Martha, but if our faith runs out like Mary he will be moved to tears and cry with me. My Jesus cries with me :)
Psalm 56:8 NKJV
You number my wanderings; Put my tears into your bottle; Are they not in your book?
