Published on 12/14/2007

Spiritual growth is one of the ways God redeems our suffering for a greater good. So it was that Mary and Martha learned at their brother's grave that God weeps.

Commentary

"Steroid Report Implicates Top Players," today's New York Times is reporting. Former Senator George J. Mitchell has been investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, and made his report yesterday. Dozens of players are named, including Roger Clemens and seven past Most Valuable Player award-winners. Sen. Mitchell is calling the years on which he focused his investigation, "the Steroids Era."

Baseball heroes are not exempt from the temptations of life. You and I are fallen people living in a fallen world. And so, all week we've claimed Isaiah's promise that the Christmas Child would be our "Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6), a God of compassion and grace. We've seen that promise fulfilled in Jesus' weeping response to Lazarus' death and his family's pain (John 11). Yesterday we learned from Jesus' tears that we can expect to hurt in this fallen world, but we have God's help in the pain. And we learned that we will know God better because of this crisis as we walk with him by faith.

This is the consistent pattern of Scripture. Peter learned something about Jesus he would never have known except through his storm on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples could see Jesus at a distance from their boat; Peter could see him up close on the water. John knew Jesus better for witnessing his crucifixion and meeting him on Patmos. The man born blind (John 9) learned that Jesus can heal our eyes. The Samaritan woman (John 4) learned that Jesus can heal our souls.

Spiritual growth is one of the ways God redeems our suffering for a greater good. So it was that Mary and Martha learned at their brother's grave that God weeps. What would God teach you about himself in the midst of your problems this week?

One more fact: We must stay close to Jesus. Pain can turn us from the One whose help we need the most. Lazarus had to be within sound of Jesus' voice to hear his call. You will find his help and hope when you are close enough to hear him weep. As the saying goes, "If you don't feel close to God, guess who moved." How close are you to God?

The Christ of Christmas is our Everlasting Father. We know because he wept. Because he weeps today. Is he weeping for you right now?

Where do you need his tears? His hand to steady you? His voice to call you back to life? His light for your confused mind, his courage for your wavering soul? Who is your Lazarus? Christmas proves that Jesus weeps there, for you. Are you listening?