We have the tendency as Christians to not give each other permission to grieve loss in our lives. We tell each other that everything will be okay in heaven someday, or that God is using this tragic event in our lives for His glory. Those things may be true, but notice that Jesus does neither in this passage. He offers no theological explanation for suffering. He does not offer a Hallmark card of sympathy. Instead, He weeps.I'm glad that Jesus didn't live a clean life. He didn't live in a secure bubble, surrounded by people just like Him. He couldn't for several reasons. The first reason, of course, is that there wasn't anyone else like Him on earth. The second reason is that, through His many interactions with these different people we are able to learn more about God and what is required to be saved. The third reason, and the reason that most excites me at the moment is that by living a dirty life trudging about in the dirt with strangers, sinners and people that hated Him, Christ made Himself entirely relatable and common. He knew what it felt like to hurt with and for others and He wasn't afraid to express that sorry or agony in very public ways.
I need to be better about living with the people I am around and being real with them in times of hurt, pain and insecurity. In those moments perhaps I can be a momentary reflection of Christ in His perfection - as He weeped for His pain and that of His friends while trusting that the end outcome was in God's control (which of course was His control).
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