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Because of great empathy, Jesus wept

John 11: 32-33&35
"Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
Jesus wept."

As I was reading through this chapter and familiar story, I was suddenly struck with the depth of this particular part of the story.
Jesus, being God, knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Not only that, but a few verses earlier, He even told His disciples what He was about to do. The death of Lazarus was not news to Jesus--nor, in my mind, do I imagine a very troubling thought to Him since He knew what was about to happen.
So then, why did He weep? Why was He greatly troubled?
Because He saw the deep pain of His friends.
His empathy was SO great that even knowing what was about to happen He still wept with His friends.

"For we do not have a high priest (referring to Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15; ( ) mine)

This realization was truly comforting to me. For even now, all these years after that story happened, God forbid, I pass through an experience that causes me to weep, I really know that He is not looking down at me hoping that I'll get over it soon. Or that I would wipe away my tears and move on with life trusting that He knows what else is ahead (which He does). Or whatever other cliche thought we Christians attribute to rough times in life.
Instead, that I would really know that even though He is God and He knows what has happened, why it has happened and more importantly what is to come from what has happened-- that He still takes that moment to weep with me.

The great Almighty has empathy. He takes that moment to weep with His friends. He is not cold nor condescending, neither rude nor cliche. He is gentle and always near.
Because of great empathy, Jesus wept.

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