Jesus Wept
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2008
John 11:-145
By Pastor Tom Kadel
Three friends were talking about death one day when one of them asked, “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?” The first said, “I would like them to say, he was a great humanitarian, who really cared about people.” “Hmmm,” said the second, “I think I would want them to say that he was a great husband and father and was an example for others to follow.” After a pause, the third friend said, “You know, I believe I want them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”
Good morning, brothers and sisters. On this Fifth Sunday in Lent, we just heard the lengthy account of the raising of Jesus’ friend named Lazarus. There is so much in there, isn’t there? This is a problem text for preachers because there’s really too much in there to deal with in one sermon – unless you’d like me to go on for a couple hours. No?
Then let’s lift up two aspects of the account – waiting and weeping. First, the waiting.
The story begins with the message sent by Lazarus’ sisters, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.” They didn't even have to say who it was. They were such close friends that they knew Jesus would know who they were talking about. But this closeness makes what happens next very hard to understand. Jesus waits. Jesus waits for two full days before beginning the two day journey to Bethany. This is really puzzling. Why in the world does he wait? I must tell to you that I don't have a good answer to that question. Neither have Biblical scholars and theologians. It remains a mystery.
But Jesus wasn’t the only one waiting. Mary and Martha waited. I can understand their waiting better. It is the kind of waiting that all of us have done at one time or another. It is the waiting for God to show up and do something, take care of something that is out of our control. It is painful waiting, vexing waiting, anxious waiting. It is the worst kind of waiting there is.
How many times have you waited just like Mary and Martha did? “Why isn't Jesus here when we need him?” “Why doesn't God hurry up and do something?” “Where were you, Jesus?”
Whatever the reasons were for Jesus’ waiting, we can readily see that the sisters of Lazarus didn’t appreciate it. They were looking for Jesus to be the kind of friend who drops everything to come and be with them in their pain. Each sister in turn took Jesus to task for his tardiness. They each blurted out the identical words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
We hear their pain, and we share it because in too many of our homes Lazarus has died. For some it is not the literal death of a loved one. But it may be the death of a dream, the death of an ideal, or the death of hope. Where has Lazarus died in your heart or your home? Where has Jesus disappointed you? You've prayed, but no answers have come. You’ve pleaded, but God has delayed. You've waited, but he hasn't arrived. You've held the funeral, but he didn't attend. Or so it seemed. Where are you waiting for God to show up and be God for you right now? Mary and Martha were not the last to wait for Jesus, were they? And neither will we be the last.
Maybe it is that something important happens to us while we wait, this has been true for me. As I wait sometimes for God to show up and fix something that I cannot fix, I learn more about what faith is and I learn more about what hope is. None of us will ever know God’s mind well enough to say with certainty why God sometimes waits and why God often brings different outcomes than we’ve prayed for.
And now comes the weeping. When Mary broke down in tears before him, Jesus asked, “Where have you laid him?” And when he stood in front of the tomb, according to the King James version, “Jesus wept.” He must have wept out loud and long, because those who saw it were moved to say, “See how much he loved him.” But why? Why did he cry?
I believe he cried because he cared. He cried for the same reason that we cry. He grieved with Mary and Martha. Jesus loved them and Lazarus. He grieved that Lazarus had died. He identified with their pain and he understood their tears.
That's what friends do. They cry when you cry. And I can take great comfort in this. It tells me that God still identifies with people who are hurting. When we cry, God cries too.
There's a story of a little girl who came home late from school one day. Her mother was quite angry with her, reminding her firmly that they had a rule about coming straight home from school. Finally the mom stopped and asked, “So, why were you late anyway?” To which the girl replied, “I was helping another girl who was very sad.” “What did you do for her?” asked the mother. “Oh, I just sat down beside her and helped her cry.”
I believe the simple words, “Jesus wept,” reveal as much about Jesus as all the other words ever said about him. He weeps for all who pray for God to come and nothing happens. He weeps for all who face the tragic experiences of this life and thrust their painful, “Why?” toward heaven. He weeps for those who have hard questions and no answers. He weeps for those who ask for a miracle and do not get it.
Here is not a picture of a God who is far away from us, immovable, unemotional and uninvolved. Here is a God with a weeping heart. Here is the Lord of the universe with tears in his eyes. For me, it is important to believe that Jesus understands what life is like for me. He knows my temptations. He knows what it was like to be fully human just like me. He knows my suffering, my disappointments, my problems, my questions. And more importantly, he not only knows, he understands. He has literally walked in my shoes.
And because Jesus knows and cares, then I know that God knows and cares. Jesus’ tears tell us that there is someone we can lean on for strength, for wisdom, for comfort. In our confusion, Jesus is there for us. While we wait, he waits with us. In our sorrow, he will hold us.
Across the street from the bombed out Federal Building in Oklahoma City, where 168 people died needlessly and senselessly in 1995, there stands a memorial. At the heart of that memorial is a nine foot statue of Jesus. But this statue is not one of a stony Jesus with arms out wide like you may have seen elsewhere. No, this is a nine foot statue of Jesus with his face in his hands, turned slightly away from where the acts of terror took place, and the plaque reads, “And Jesus Wept.” [See the statue below.] For thousands and thousands of mourners and survivors, that image of Jesus has brought and hope and new life. It is a pillar of comfort for all who pass by.
What does God do for us? Sometimes he just sits down beside us and helps us cry. And sometimes that's what we really need.
Amen
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. |
