(John 11:33-35 NIV) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. In our last message we saw how Jesus finally had His encounter with Mary and when He did her initial words were no different than Martha’s, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Although Martha had spoken these same 12 words to Jesus, they did not move Him to action. Mary may have said the same thing, but she said it from a different position of the heart. Mary spoke these words from her knees, from a position of worship, a position of surrender. Mary laid at Jesus’ feet, crying, worshipping, releasing her pain, and Jesus was moved to do something about it. Mary touched Jesus from her knees.
The Bible says that when Jesus saw her weeping and He looked around and saw all those that had come with her weeping as well, He was deeply moved. Jesus was often compelled by compassion and this was certainly one of those times. He looked past her words of frustration and saw a pure heart; a heart of worship, a heart surrendered to God. It was as if He was so moved that He decided right then and there that He had to do something about Lazarus’ situation. Instead of going through a lengthy discussion, like He had with her sister (a discussion that had gotten nowhere), He asked, “Where have you laid him?” Just like that! Jesus was ready to move to action. Her heart had touched His and He was ready to do something about her pain. He just wanted to know where they had laid the body. If they could take Him to where the body was, then He was ready to do something about it.
But wait, before I get too far with what He did when He got the body, verse 35 says, “Jesus wept.” That’s it, just two words. Verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most powerful. Jesus was moved to tears, because of the tears of Mary and the others. He literally wept. He cried. He sobbed. He identified with their pain. He connected with their hurt. He was moved by their situation. Why? Because He loved them. See, part of the reason why Jesus came down from heaven to live like we live, walk like we walk, get tempted like we get tempted, feel like we feel, and hurt like we hurt, is so that He can identify with our pain. The writer of Hebrews said, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned” (4:15). Jesus is our High Priest. He is in heaven as our advocate with the Father and He can identify with us. Jesus knows what it is like to feel pain, discomfort, and disappointment. He lived down here so that He can connect with our situations from up there. Jesus wept. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. You don’t serve a distant, despondent, or disconnected God who cannot identify with our situation or that pain it has caused you.
2. HOW you say something is sometimes more important than WHAT you say.
3. The Father will search your heart. If your words are right, but your heart is corrupt, the Father will not move. But if your heart is pure, the Father might overlook words spoken in pain.
Closing Confession: Father, I ask You to search me afresh. Search my heart and my motives. I know You listen to my words and words are very powerful in my life, but I also know that You will not be moved by empty words spoken from a corrupt vessel. So as I seek to speak the right words I ask You to identify with my pure heart. I want to please You and I ask You to identify with me, my frustrations, my pain, and my situation. Connect with me Father, in ways that only You can and as You do, I ask You to move on my behalf! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
