Jesus Wept – Sunday, April 04, 1982
Among the most poignant scriptures to be found in the sacred writings of Christianity is that which is recorded in the New Testament gospel of St. John.
A short verse there describes Christ’s response to the death of one of His friends. Recorded are these two words: “Jesus Wept.”1
On that occasion, Jesus shed tears for a single contemporary whom He loved. The event openly displays Christ’s capacity to love and feel sorrow for the misfortunes of those around Him.
It was not long after this tragedy that Christ faced His own imminent death. Shortly before the crucifixion He went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane. There in prophetic agony He witnessed the passing of all peoples, of all nations, of us. He discerned that His commandment that we love one another even as He loved us would be largely rejected by mankind.
Once, twice, and for a third time He returned to His friends to share the awesome burden; each time He found them asleep.
Alone, He took upon Himself the sins of the world, suffering for all generations of humanity
And in the depths of that divine despair, He wept:
-Wept for the countless unknown soldiers of nameless battles and forgotten wars and their orphaned children, their widowed wives, their grieving mothers.
-Wept for the maimed in body and soul who haunt the boweries of large cities, for the aged who wait in nursing homes for visitors who never come, and for the meek and believing who are taken advantage of by the crafty and unscrupulous.
-He wept because of the ignorance which has made much of mankind live out its life in political and intellectual slavery, and because of superstition which still keeps men in spiritual bondage.
For all of this, and more, the Creator of heaven and earth suffered an exquisite agony.
Across the centuries, the long figure of noble manhood, weeping among the shadows of Gethsemane looms above humanity.
And thus, while His disciples slept, Jesus wept; and perhaps still weeps, while mankind sleeps.
1 New Testament, John 11:35
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April 04, 1982
Broadcast Number 2,746