Jesus Wept

   I think we sometimes find it hard to approach Jesus in our lives.  It may be difficult to relate to Him.  We forget that He is not only truly God but also truly man.  As man He understands us as a friend.  We need to seek Him in His humanity as well as in His divinity.

   When His friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept.  The shortest verse in the Bible has so much depth; “And Jesus wept.” (John 11: 35).  The Son of God, the Messiah, wept over the death of His friend.  Just as we grieve at the death of a loved, so did Jesus.  This is the human side of Jesus that I think we sometimes overlook.

   Jesus again showed His humanity in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will but as you will.” (Matt 26: 39).  He knew of His coming passion and as a man He asked if there were some other way.  Yet, He prayed for the Father’s will, not His.  What a beautiful example for us.  When we are troubled and don’t know where to turn, we too may ask that the cup be passed from us.  Yet, we also must ask that the Father’s will be done, not ours.

   Jesus showed His humanity throughout His ministry.  This gives me great comfort when I pray to Him.  He is God, but He also knows the human trials and difficulties we face each day.  He can understand our sorrow and our pain.  He became man in order to share the experience of humanity as part of His redemptive plan.  We can approach Him as we would our best friend.  

   His apostles and followers He called His friends.  He wants to be your friend as well.  Reach out to Him as you would a friend; He will be there.