"jesus Wept"

“Jesus Wept”

John 11:1-7, 17-44

The Monday or Tuesday following our first-ever online Easter Worship Service, due to the Brand New Covid Pandemic, Justin DeFriese called me as he often did.

The tornado had just torn through parts of Chattanooga.

I remember that I was out on the Red Bank United Methodist Church playground with my son Owen, due to the fact that his Preschool had been shut-down.

Justin had called to check and see if I was alright following the tornado, and then he complimented me on how well he thought I was doing given the present circumstances.

He was an-ada-boy kind of guy.

A real fan of pastors.

I understand he had been like that for every pastor who had served this church, no matter whether the pastor was popular with the congregation or going through a rough patch…

…Justin was always there, encouraging and also giving words of wisdom.

Within a week Justin passed away…

…and because of the Covid Pandemic we--his church family--were never able to gather for a memorial service, to say our good-byes, to mourn together the loss of this great saint we all knew and loved.

The same can be said for Irene Hale who died the day before Justin, and Marie Tilley—that sweet soul, and Susan Nail, Bobbye Shroeder, Ted Bowman, Rose Campbell, Comena Rogers, Frances Anderson, wonderful Dottie Vendur, Sharon Wright who had a muted service due to Covid, Ken Welch who had no memorial service that I know of, Ed Campbell whose service was very private…

Recently, we had a memorial service for Edith Merritt-Emerson who passed in October of 2020.

We had a service for one of the most godly men in the history of the City of Red Bank—Skipper Fairbanks, but even though the sanctuary was nearly full, it was muted, as well, due to the Pandemic and some other awful things which had happened.

Charmaine Layton was memorialized at Lane funeral home over a month ago.

(pause)

I think if we’re honest, we are all in some level of grief right now.

Grief for where we thought we would be in 2020 and 2021.

All around us there has been a profound sense of loss.

Worship attendance, not only at this church, but at every church in the country has been cut in half at best.

Finally, the pandemic is perhaps retreating, but we thought it was gone in July as well.

During this time people have lost family members and friendships.

Some have lost physical health and mental health.

As a pastor, I haven’t been able to do a major part of my job—visiting the sick and shut-ins—since March 12, 2020.

So, what does it mean to respond to this profound grief as a Christian?

In our Gospel Lesson for this morning, we get a picture of what faith looks like in the face of grief and hardship.

But more importantly, we get an invitation to find God with us in our grief.

It’s an invitation to come to God in our frustrations, in our anger, in our sadness, and even in our fear and not be turned away.

This is just weeks before the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.

Our passage takes place in a suburb of Jerusalem—and at this point Jesus is basically a marked man.

The religious leaders see Jesus as a threat, and have already tried to execute Him because of His teaching.

So, He and the disciples have taken off.

But now Jesus has gotten word that his close friend Lazarus is sick.

The thought of going back to Jerusalem terrifies the disciples and even Jesus waits two days before heading out.

In the time it takes them to get to Lazarus’ family, he has died.

When Jesus comes upon Lazarus’ sisters, Mary, in the midst of her grief, doesn’t try and put on a strong face and pretend everything is okay.

She comes to Jesus directly—“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she says.

Let’s just stop and pause here for a moment.

Do you feel that?

It’s a gut-punching thing to say, right?

And let’s take a look at the answer Jesus gives.

He doesn’t get on her for her lack of faith.

He doesn’t get frustrated with her.

He sees her.

He sees their friends weeping.

And we are told in verse 33 that Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

He asks them to take Him to Lazarus’ grave—to the very source of their pain and grief and disappointment.

And He goes with them there.

And then comes verse 35: one of the most remarkable verses in all of Scripture: “Jesus wept.”

Even knowing that He is God in the flesh Jesus entered into their grief and pain to grieve with them, joining His grief to theirs.