January 11 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 27–28; Matthew 8:18–34

Weep With Those Who Weep

Jesus wept. John 11:35

READ John 11:32–37

Ironically for a comedian, Rob was engulfed in sorrow. His beloved son, Henry, was dying of cancer. Because most people reacted with sympathetic comments, Rob expected something similar after telling Henry’s night carer, Rachel, a Nigerian mother and Christian. But instead, Rachel staggered as though she’d been hit, wailing, “Oh no! Oh, Henry! Oh, Jesus Christ, no! No, no, no . . .”

Hers was an instinctive, raw lament before God. Later, Rob said that it was the best response that he’d received. At last, someone saw his pain and horror and didn’t try to sugar-coat the emotions, but rather, experienced them with him. Rachel’s reaction helped him enormously.

After His close friend Lazarus died, Jesus sobbed aloud rather than offering stoic sympathy. Even though He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, when Jesus saw Mary and the Jews weeping, He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33). Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha as they grieved their brother’s death reminds us today to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NKJV).

As Christians, we can be tempted to downplay others’ or our own pain, fast-forwarding to the happy ending or the silver lining. But Jesus is both the solution to our sorrow and our companion within it. We can bring our grief and burdens to Him, remembering that we have a God who weeps with us.

By Tanya Marlow

What pain and grief can you bring to Jesus today? How does Jesus’ example influence how you might respond to someone who is sad and sorrowful?

Compassionate Jesus, thank You that You know my heartbreak and that You weep along with me. Please help me bring my grief to You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Not only did Jesus weep for others but also for His own suffering in Gethsemane. The enemy Jesus faced was death—both physical and spiritual. As the sin-bearer, the Lord Jesus Christ bore the full wrath of God for sinners (Isaiah 53:4). He experienced a full range of human emotions so He could be a compassionate High Priest for us (Hebrews 2:18).