What makes us weep? What brings us to tears?

 

We may cry when a relationship ends and our heart breaks, or when we are in physical agony as our body throbs with pain.

 

We may be brought to tears when someone we love dies and we are overcome with grief, or when we are unable to ease the suffering of a dear relative or friend.

 

We may weep with frustration when our plans end in failure, rather than expected success.

 

In this Sunday’s Gospel (John 11:1-45), which recounts the death of Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha and their neighbors cry as they mourn his death. And John tells us “Jesus wept.”

 

Did Jesus weep over the death of his friend Lazarus? Did he weep because he was moved by the outpouring of grief around him? Or perhaps Jesus wept for another reason.

 

Certainly, Jesus knew Lazarus was dead before he arrived at Bethany. Even before they set out for the village Jesus told his disciples “Lazarus has died.”

 

When Jesus met Martha, she was not only grieving the death of her brother, she also was confused why Jesus had taken so much time in coming. As she said, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Her sister Mary said the same thing.

 

In response, Jesus proclaims “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” He announces that he has power even over death.

 

When Jesus weeps, he weeps perhaps most of all because Mary and Martha and his own disciples fail to understand who he is. He weeps for their lack of faith in him.

 

John indicates that when he writes “When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled.” Certainly, Jesus would not have been perturbed at the death of Lazarus. Jesus had earlier told his disciples that the sickness of Lazarus would not end in death, but it ultimately would lead people to give glory to God and glory to the Son of God.

 

Jesus is perturbed and troubled again at the tomb. When he orders the tomb to be opened, Martha objects saying “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus again proclaims his power over death and calls for faith, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”

 

Jesus, “the resurrection and the life,” then calls Lazarus forth from the darkness of death. In doing so he challenges those who had doubted to put their faith and trust in him.

 

The only other time the Gospel writers tell us Jesus weeps is in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 19:41). There Jesus weeps when he comes to the city of Jerusalem. He weeps for the same reason he does in Sunday’s Gospel. Jesus weeps over what awaits his people because of their lack of faith in him.

 

In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus cries with grief, but even more, Jesus weeps with frustration, disappointment, and sorrow. He weeps because people fail to put their faith in him. In our day, Jesus would have even more reason for tears!

 

© 2026 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski