Pastoral Reflection
by Rev. Kelly Jane Caesar delivered on March 29, 2020
Jesus Wept.
Read: John 11: 7- 44
Even though he knows a miracle is to happen,
even though he knows goodness is going to come,
Jesus weeps.
He doesn’t brush off the suffering and fix it right away,
He pauses to be with us in the midst of our trials.
In previous weeks I spoke about this time as a Desert Time –
Void of normal comforts.
A desert time of wandering towards the Promised Land of healing and wholeness.
So we have this altar space with sand and desert colors.
In previous weeks we spoke about ways God nourishes us in the desert –
Through the water of grace and healing spit – each week filling a vase of water.
This week our nourishment in the desert comes from the tears of Jesus.
[pour water]
When we are in a time of trial, a desert time before we have reached the Promised Land,
Nourishment can come with tears.
A good cry can provide the heart with a cleanse, a release of pain for a time.
A good cry can help us acknowledge the difficulty of the time.
Sometimes during trials we are told to “be strong” or “you’re so strong” –
Yet, it is often at the very moment we don’t feel strong at all.
A good cry is an acknowledgement that we don’t have it all together, that we are not in control,
That we may not be as strong as others think or say we are.
A good cry is, in essence, an act of submission to a powerful God –
A good cry is a way of saying,
“God, I don’t got this – please, help.”
In this scripture we see a God who comes down from heaven, embodied in Jesus, and sits with us in our tears.
While our hearts maybe breaking or scared or weak,
Jesus is there to comfort us, to cry with us,
and eventually show us the miraculous glory of God.
So let us pause to share with Jesus our trials, our fears, our losses at this time.
Prayer:
Jesus weep with me. I am upset about ______. Lord hold me and help me feel your presence. Amen.
