May 13th, 2026
Read John 11:32-36
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept.
When we choose to be compassionate – to be with people – especially to those who are suffering, we open our souls to the tenderness of the emotions that others are experiencing.
In this passage of Scripture, we see Jesus meeting with two of his friends, Mary and Martha, who have just lost their brother. Jesus knows what each one needs. Martha needs clarity, and Mary needs someone to cry with. Full of compassion and deeply moved, Jesus enters into Mary’s pain, allowing his own soul to be moved to the same level of despair that Mary is feeling. Together, they weep for their brother and friend.
Christians worship and follow a God who models emotional vulnerability in the life of His Son, our Lord Jesus. Compassion begins with seeing, and requires a willingness to be seen yourself – emotions and all. I am a mom of three boys, and I am already beginning to notice my 5-year-old trying to hold back his tears, especially in front of friends. We continue to remind him, and ourselves, that it’s okay to cry. It is human nature to feel pain. It is not human nature to feel ashamed of that pain. We have a God who weeps with us so that we can weep with others.
Prayer: God, you are familiar with my pain and suffering. Help me to sit with you, my compassionate and loving Father, as I walk through this day. Give me the courage to be vulnerable with you and with those around me, and the humility to receive those who need comfort and care today.
