Silent Weeping

31, 102:
The number of verses in the King James Bible.

The shortest verse in the Bible? “Jesus wept.” John 11:35

Interesting to me how those two words encapsulate so much more than this brief statistic presents. Consider this reflection on what it means to weep...

“Out of all the creatures in God’s creation, only people cry. Tears often say what words cannot. When Jesus cried outside the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus’ humanity cried out as loudly as his divinity would moments later when Jesus raised his friend from the dead. Jesus’ tears were different from those of many mourners surrounding him. Those people were wailing in accordance with Jewish custom. This tradition allowed community to fulfill a duty publicly and loudly lament personal tragedy more so than it allowed those who were grieving a personal release of emotion.

The Greek word used here for ‘wept’ is found nowhere else in Scripture. It means ‘to cry silently’.

Jesus didn’t cry for the benefit of others. He didn’t cry to make a point or to teach a lesson. He cried because his heart was broken.

God’s heart breaks because he has compassion for those he created. That means he does not take your pain, sorrow, grief, disappointment, or even physical death lightly. God knows he can bring good out of tragedy and enjoy eternal life with you after your days on earth are through, just as Jesus knew he could raise Lazarus from the dead. That doesn’t stop God from entering into your present sorrow with you, from reaching out in compassion to bring comfort when you need it most.

When you cry, cry out to him.

Jesus was not ashamed to express his emotions and let others see him cry. Follow his example of honest emotional vulnerability, while inviting him to help dry your tears from the inside out.”

From The 100 Most Important Bible Verses, pg. 144, W Publishing Group, Thomas Nelson, Inc.