Jesus Wept

Anyone on facebook saw thoughts, prayers and condolences sent out, along with debates and defenses on gun control and the second amendment. There have been so many shootings this year, that tragedy is unfortunately becoming a norm. Two of them were in my state, which doesn't make them any more tragic, it just brings everything closer to home.

Today, I believe, was an even more tremendous wake up call. Perhaps we see a reasoning (even if we find it repugnant) behind going into a crowded movie theater - a lot of people on whom to play the villain, or even, as sick as it is, a Sikh temple - religious persecution; but when someone walks into a kindergarten classroom, this is where we lose any ounce of reason we might otherwise have been able to find.

The timing of this shooting - the 14th day of Advent - is what has struck me. Here we are, in the midst of a season of preparation for the celebration of our Savior's coming, and this happens, the kind of thing that causes people to ask where God is in all of this. Will Christmas be sweeter this year in the wake of Sandy Hook? Are you now more prepared to receive Christ with joy? God is sovereign, but there is still more to be said.

Earlier today, I read this meditation on that famous, two-word Bible verse from John's Gospel, Jesus wept. Lazarus was dead, and Jesus wept. But, as the author of that post points out, Jesus already knew He was going to raise Lazarus to life. Jesus already knew everything would be fine, and that He would have the ultimate victory. But despite knowing the joy to come, He still wept for the tragedy of the present moment.

This is akin to Christ knowing He Himself would be raised, and yet, He cried out to His Father on the cross, "why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus knew what was happening as He hung on that cross. He knew that He would be raised, and that He would be the ultimate conqueror over death. He would live to see His name made great among the nations, and would ultimately return to establish His Kingdom. And still, Christ was able to understand our desperation. How fortunate we are to serve a Lord who is both sovereign yet still sympathizes with us.

As we are at home weeping today, and in the days to come, for parents who will never hug their children again, for children who will never see friends, siblings, teachers, and parents again, for a community that will be moving towards a slow path to recovery and security, for a nation that has suffered and will attempt to work towards a better solution, and for a world lost in its sin, may we take comfort in the fact that Jesus wept.