Monday Manna - Weeping

Welcome to Monday Manna. The purpose of this meme is to get together and get to know Christ more through His Word. The first and third Monday of each month, anyone who wishes can post their thoughts on a verse I introduced at my blog the Thursday before. It doesn't have to be a long post -- just a few thoughts, a picture you feel helps express it, a poem, a short story, a devotional.

Anyone is welcome to participate. Just post to your blog and link up at the bottom of this post in the Mr. Linky gadget.

Today's verse is John 11:35 - Jesus wept. I'm VERY excited to see what you all have come up with! My thoughts (as jumbled as they may be today!) are below.

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I am, like many women, an emotional creature. I can shed a tear at the silliest things. A TV commercial. Losing my favorite sweater. A perceived slight (that probably wasn't even a slight at all). Then, of course, there are the times when it's actually warranted.

If someone were to write a book about my life, I would guess the phrase "Joanne cried" or something similar would appear dozens of times.

Yet, in all of the New Testament, Jesus is only mentioned as crying twice. Once was at Lazarus' grave right before he brought his friend back to life (see Monday Manna verse and context), and once was as he looked on Jerusalem. (See Luke 19:41-44)

To be honest, I'm not sure how important this is. I don't think anyone could sustain an argument that Jesus was lacking in emotion. He was, by any definition, quite passionate. Yet there are only two written accounts of him crying.

But what about post-resurrection? Of course, we don't have much written record of those times. Yet I wonder how I would react if I were looking down on this world from His perspective.

• Christ humbled himself.
• Was born in a barn, put to bed in a feeding trough.
• Lived as an "equal" among the people He had created.
• Had a sinless life.
• Willingly allowed himself to be tortured, beaten beyond recognition, and hung on a cross to die for acts he had not committed.
• Separated Himself from His Father in heaven (which we, as believers, never have to do, by the way).
• Stayed dead for three days.
• Rose again and returned to heaven in order to redeem us and intercede for us before the Father.

After all that, he looks down at those He loves--those He died for--and sees them turning their backs on Him. He watches us, temples of His Holy Spirit, walking around desecrating these houses of worship. He sees those who believe in Him following the wrong path, or ignoring His calling to them. He sees scores of people He died for using His name as a curse word. He sees those who love Him crumble under the first sign of stress, because they don't trust Him.

I'm not there, of course, but I can't help but imagine that, like He did at Lazarus' funeral, Jesus weeps.

I sometimes weep when my children follow the wrong path, or when someone I love rejects what I know is best for him, and he reaps the consequences. Does Jesus? Considering how vast and high and wide and deep His love is for us, I have to believe that He is, at the least, saddened by the times we do not get His best because of our own actions, thoughts, and feelings.

I wonder if I have made Jesus weep today. Did my snapping at my son make him frown? Did he cry when I whined (silently) about having to sit in church alone? How was His countenance when I got distracted by the singers and didn't pay attention to the worship song?

Yet, the most amazing thing is that, whether I caused Him to cry or not, He still loves me endlessly, and intercedes for me to my Father in heaven. No matter how many times I might disappoint Him - or even make Him weep - he still views me as sanctified, forgiven, and loving. That's enough to bring me to tears--and to strive to keep my Savior from weeping over me.

Heavenly Father, I am so sorry for the times my actions, thoughts, and emotions cause you sadness or pain. Thank You, dear Jesus, for loving me, interceding for me, and never giving up on me. Help me to stay within your will and to not make you weep.



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