As a child growing up I can only recall one time seeing my father (my step-father, but I never use the word "step") weep. I was in fifth grade when my Grandmother Blauvelt passed away, and when dad and I stood in front of her casket, I began to weep and so did my father. To this day I cannot say I have seen my father weep as I did on that day. That day in front of Grandma's casket, I saw the totally human and emotional side of my father come out and something inside me said: "Dad is real"!
As we enter day twenty, half way to the forty days of Lent, I approach today's message with a message of another man that showed his true emotions. As he witnessed Mary and Martha and others weeping over Lazarus, Jesus was moved in the emotional response of the people. Jesus knew that he had caused this pain by delaying his arrival to Lazarus, even though his delaying was necessary.
When Jesus approached the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, scripture tells us that Jesus wept over the city, and wished that it would be a city of peace. With this we see the Messiah, the Divine Jesus, showing his human side and allowing people to see that he was "real". Brothers and Sisters, Jesus was and is real and weeps this very day when we turn from him and cause others pain.
In my life I have witnessed many people weep, and often they apologize for weeping. Friends, weeping is a normal side of who we are as an emotional people that God created and who Jesus died for. As Jesus was moved at the weeping over Lazarus, so he was moved to weep over a city that was in need of peace. My prayer for you this day is that we understand that weeping is an emotional response that shows the true heart and true identity of the God that created each and every one of us. Weeping is a sign to others that you are emotionally distraught and is God's true signal indicator for his people to come to the person weeping, as Christ comes and takes care of us in our times of distress.
Weeping is God's creation in which we are able to show our true selves, and the fact that life is real and that we are reaching out for others to give us strength as we endure pain. As you progress through day twenty of Lent, understand that Lent and Easter are times of real and true emotion, and as you weep, Jesus weeps with you while holding you at the same time.
Thanks for letting me be "real"
Pastor Tim.
Day Twenty Bible Readings
John 11:35
John 11:37
John 11:33
Luke 19:41, 42
Romans 5:3-5
Matthew 28:20
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