What Would Jesus do First?

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35

LEARN

One year ago I was kicking off the first week of my very last semester of college. Today, I find myself about to start my second full-time, “big girl job” since graduating in December 2018. It took me almost that long to realize I am sitting in a big period of transition. While I absolutely recognize how common this transition period is especially for many people my age, I also believe it is not talked about enough. Sometimes it feels like we are just flung into this world with dreams and passions and hopes and no clue how to chase them. Unless we are set up with an explicit next step such as grad school or a very specific career path, the period right after graduating college can feel confusing and full of empty space. Don’t get me wrong, I am learning to find an abundance of peace in my newfound mind-space, but at the same time I am becoming more and more aware of how big and wide this in-between period of life really is. Big and wide is new, hopeful, and exciting, but it is also full of so many unknowns. This summer the unknowns were causing me to feel a little extra homesick and a little extra teary-eyed (although I am hesitant to admit it). However, these unknowns kept leading me back to Jesus so they also left me feeling a little extra loved and little extra hopeful.

What could quite possibly be the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 - ”Jesus wept.” Something drew me back to this verse and I was reminded of a reflection I wrote during my last semester of college which I ended up keeping to myself. I think it’s actually worth sharing, especially for anyone out there who might be feeling unsure as to where Jesus stands in the midst of your own feelings of confusion, transition, loneliness, or anything really. In order to understand the significance of this short verse, let me first give you a tiny bit of context. John chapter 11 narrates the death of a man named Lazarus and ends with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In the middle of the chapter, Jesus comforts Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, during their period of grief. Right before this verse, Mary and Martha had come to Jesus in sorrow, telling him that their brother would not have died if Jesus had been present. They brought Jesus to the place where Lazarus lay dead and “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping… he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:34). Then, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

When I first became a Christian about four years ago, I expected quick answers, advice, and direction from Jesus whenever I asked for it (okay let’s be real, I still have this expectation a little more often than I probably should). However, I think this verse demonstrates an even more loving way that Jesus responds to us when we confide in him. While giving immediate advice can definitely be a blessing, what I’m learning we need first and foremost is simply someone to sit with us, listen to us, walk through our situations with us, and seek to truly understand and empathize (not just sympathize!) with our emotions. This is exactly what Jesus does in John 11:35, therefore validating Mary and Martha’s emotions amidst their circumstance at hand. He allows himself to feel the pain that Mary and Martha are feeling and takes a moment to sit in that pain with them. I am reminded through this story just how much Jesus aligns his heart with ours as an act of showing his love for us (in verse 36, the Jews correspond Jesus’ weeping with his love for Lazarus).

What strikes me most about this chapter is the order in which Jesus does things. Before he ever raises Lazarus from the dead, he FIRST weeps with Mary and Martha. His first action is to come alongside us, his presence becoming a reflection of his love for us, and THEN he takes further action. I read a devotional months ago that emphasized our role as human beings rather than human doings. Essentially, we have a role to BE with God and with others before we have a role to DO anything or take any other action. Jesus makes this so easy for us because he promises to always be near, never far.

I think it is also important to note that Jesus isn’t weeping over Lazarus’ death the way Mary and Martha are. While Mary and Martha are weeping because they assume the finality of their brother’s death, Jesus weeps solely because his heart aligns with theirs. His tears do not minimize his confidence in the plan that is to come (raising Lazarus back to life). I love that he allows himself to sit and weep with these women simply because he cares for them. The feelings we experience matter to him. Today, nine months out of college, I feel incredibly grateful that Jesus understands my heart. I am confident he is walking with me through the period of transition I find myself in. I pray for a steadfast trust for myself and each of you in knowing that his plan supersedes all of our confusions or uncertainties.

KNOW

Do you believe that Jesus desires to weep alongside you? Do you allow him to do so? Do you remember a time when you found yourself in a season of uncertainty and unknowns? Maybe that season for you is right now. How did you and/or how can you learn to let Jesus and let others in to the unknown with you?

Please know that whether today is your first day of high school, last day of college, or just your ten thousandth day at the same job you’ve had for thirty years, you are never alone, never invisible, and always, always loved.

DO

Read the entire story about Jesus comforting the sisters of Lazarus in John 11:17-37. Spend some time in prayer, allowing Jesus to feel your joys, sorrows, and confusion alongside you.