Running down rabbit trails

Jesus Wept

 

 

Somewhere in time, last week in my blog I mentioned a song that made me cry.  This caused me to think about the reason’s I cry.  I realized as a woman, I may have more reasons to tear up than others, but let’s face it a song can do it.  I can also get teary at a movie scene or a passage in a book.  I will tear up when something happens wonderful to people I care about or when their hurting or sad.  Of course, don’t make me too mad, or I’ll cry at that also.

Going down the rabbit trail of reasons I cry took me down another rabbit trail.  I went to Bible College several years ago and I had a professor who everyone enjoyed listening to, but he was the first one I heard use the phrase, rabbit trail.  He would come prepared to give a lesson, but discussion or thoughts or something would cause him to veer off course to a different subject.  He would laugh and tell the class we forced him down a rabbit trail.  His rabbit trail lessons were the best. 

At this same college, to use sporting equipment, you had to recite a Bible verse.  Many students would try to use the shortest verse in the Bible until they made a rule you could only use it once.  The verse is John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”

As you can see, my rabbit trail brought me back to my original topic and that is tears.

God is God, so we don’t often think of Him as having human emotions.  Yet, this verse tells us the Jesus wept.  The context of the verse is that Jesus arrived at Lazarus’s home as people were morning Lazarus’s death. 

I don’t think Jesus cried because Lazarus was dead.  He knew he was going to raise him again.  I don’t think he cried because people were upset with him for not coming sooner.  I don’t think he cried because he was tired, frustrated or even mad.

When he arrived, so many people were sorrowful and hurting that I believe the compassion of God felt their pain and Jesus wept. 

Even now, thinking about this, I find hope. Even when we are assaulted by the storms of life and even when tears of sadness cannot be held back, God loves us and God weeps with us.  We are not alone.   

 

Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm (Live) from casting-crowns on GodTube.