As we move into Holy Week, I was “moved” to reflect on the magnitude of what it means when the Lord of the Universe shed tears of emotion on behalf of a friend, and then again for humanity.
Three times it is recorded in Scripture that Jesus wept; for Lazarus (John 11:33-38), for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-42), and in the Garden of Gethsemane on Holy Thursday evening (Hebrews 5:7).
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) The shortest verse in the Bible. The verse that came in handy as a kid when called upon to recite a Scripture passage from memory. The verse with the least number of words, but packed with meaning, and perhaps painting the clearest picture, not only of the incarnate Christ, but of Jesus’ divinity as well.
“Jesus wept.” Picture it; Our Lord and Our God shedding tears – is there anything that connects our shared humanity more intimately than heartfelt emotions?
“Jesus wept.” Sixty-plus years after it occurred, St. John makes a point of telling us about it when writing his Gospel. Doing so, he holds up for the ages, with such touching brevity, the sublime spectacle of the Son of God in tears.
Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”
John 11:25-27
That scene has inspired me to attempt a deeper dive into the lessons for us contained in those tears. I will come back to that in future posts. For now, I wanted to share a poem inspired by that image that came to me recently during my Lenten reflection (No worries, Robert Frost!).
I would like to dedicate the following, The Moved Mover, to my friends in grief group who are an inspiration in resilience and hope. They are living proof that there is life after life. And to all those who have lost someone dear, please remember that Christian Hope resides in the Easter promise.
But we are also reminded that there is no Easter Sunday without passing through Good Friday first. The hope of the resurrection comes through the cross – and that hope is our pathway to joy. Praise be to God!
The Moved Mover
Lord of the universe moved to pity,
Shed His tears for Jerusalem city.
Weeping again, losing a friend so dear;
Family groaned, He was too late the fear.
Why then tears knowing he would soon be raised;
He laments for us, His justice be praised.
Moved then by kindness, His mercy abound;
Heartache turned peer, we stand on Holy ground.
The body dies, the spirit moves beyond;
Sorrow morphs to friend of whom we grow fond.
Grief becomes member, worn ever so deep;
Wounds we will carry, with grace never cheap.
Death is a curtain yet need have no sting;
Promise of heaven, His praises we sing.
- Chaplain Rick
Reflection questions:
- Check out this site for more detail about the three occasions of divine tears recorded in the Bible: https://aleteia.org/2020/12/01/3-reasons-why-jesus-cried-in-the-bible/
- Referring to the poem, what do you think the circumstances might be when “heartache turns peer,” or “grief becomes member,” or “sorrow morphs to friend?” Have you ever experienced those emotions? If so, did you find it healing, or did it cause more pain?
- Lent is the time to reflect on the sacrifice God made in order that we be reconciled to Him; what cost Him so dearly cannot be taken for granted – God’s grace may be free, but it is never cheap. How has this Lenten season informed you about God’s sanctifying grace and your own trials and sufferings in life?
Scripture References:
John 11:25-27, 33-38 Luke 19:41-42 Hebrews 5:7
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