Fifth Sunday of Lent

Have you ever fallen off your bicycle and hurt yourself so badly that you cried? Have you ever slipped and fallen while carrying a tray of food in the school cafeteria, and though you weren't hurt, you were so embarrassed that you cried? Have you ever moved to a new school where you didn't know anyone and you were so lonely that you cried? Has anyone ever said something mean and hurt your feelings so badly that you cried? Have you ever had a friend that was crying, so you just cried along with them? We all could answer, "yes" to at least one of these questions. We all cry, don't we? Young, old, man, woman and child, we all cry.

Did you know that Jesus cried? The shortest verse in the entire Bible says, "Jesus wept." The Bible tells us that Jesus cried when he saw friends who were hurting. It says that when he saw Mary weeping because her brother had died, he cried too. John 11:33-35.

I am glad that we have a Savior who weeps. I am glad that he loves us so much that he hurts when we are hurting. He sees our tears and, who knows, perhaps he keeps our tears in a bottle.

Dear Jesus, it is comforting to know that when we cry, you cry with us. But it is even more comforting to know that one day we will be in heaven with you and then there will be no more tears.

Amen.