JESUS WEPT
‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35) is the shortest verse in the Bible. At the death of Lazarus, when Jesus was deeply moved by the grief that came over the family, it is recorded that Jesus wept. A reflection of this verse brings several things to mind.
Suffering is real: While the Bible records Jesus’ tears, it does not record that Jesus laughed. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. Religion or the philosophies we espouse are often discredited because they do not address the fact that suffering is real in this world; in fact more real than happiness. I doubt any man or woman could honestly state that suffering was not part of their lives; in fact most would state that suffering far exceeds the happiness they have experienced. Jesus understood that reality and addressed suffering in this world explaining it and driving home a solution to it by his sacrifice on the cross.
A God who empathizes: While sympathy is feeling sorry from a distance, empathy is sharing the sorrow from near. While it is easy to understand the transcendence of God, empathy is a reach for gods described by various religions. Not so for Jesus. Not only is Jesus co-equal with God and very God in essence, because he came down to earth and lived life as a common man, going through the motions of life and its sufferings thereof, he can empathize with us. This becomes critical for us to approach Jesus and communicate with him, because he can understand us without being condescending and distant when we go to him at our darkest moments.
A God who identifies: The uniqueness of Christ is in that not only was he God in all the fullness of deity, he was also fully man, going through life just as we would. In other words, he was God-incarnate in the truest form. This was a God and the only God who perfectly identified with the human life. And without this quality, Jesus would not have qualified to be the Savior of all mankind. Because he ‘came down from heaven’ and lived life in all its essence, with the cardinal difference being that he did not sin, he became qualified to become the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. This unique nature of identification makes him a Savior for man, and is also the reason why no one else can be leaned upon to take man to eternal life. You can obtain counsel, encouragement and inspiration from countless others- both god and men, but in Him alone do we find salvation.
The shortest verse in the Bible has implications that are not quite short.
