Together in Sorrow | Together Easter Series

Reading | John 11:1-44

Reflection

There is an old adage that says, “Misery loves company.” But so does sorrow. No one wants to grieve alone, even though we know community can’t cure loss.

But what if it could? Sisters Mary and Martha were confident of two things: (1) Jesus loved their brother Lazarus. (2) Jesus could perform the most incredible miracles. It’s understandable, then, that they expected Jesus to heal the hurt that had burrowed into their hearts. They wanted Jesus to show up and heal their brother.

Jewish tradition claimed that the soul abandoned the body three days after death. This means no one would have expected any miracle to happen by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, four days after Lazarus died. If only Jesus had not delayed; if only Jesus had come at once. Jesus was late, which left Lazarus good and dead. But His timing wasn’t just to perform a more impressive miracle, it was also to commune with the sisters in their suffering. How moving it is that Jesus wept over the loss of his friend even though He knew the end of the story.

That’s what community does. It sits with, bears with, and mourns with. Because of Jesus, we know how to be together in sorrow.

Response

Ask God to expand your empathy and give you a vision for those who mourn. How can you show up in the midst of someone’s sorrow?