P ♰ C

By Jean Allen

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.”

When we are sad and grieving, Jesus is not distant from our pain. In fact, he is deeply moved by our sorrows – all our sorrows. In this Gospel, Jesus knew that the outcome of his presence there was going to be stunning and that all would be well. But even in this knowledge, the heartfelt pain of those he encountered, especially of Martha and Mary, touched him in the core of his being and he travailed along with those there who were greatly disturbed in their own spirits. His empathy knew no bounds.

His empathy knows no bounds even today. Jesus does not abandon us in our grief as if grieving is a sign of lack of faith. He is not offended and he always comes to meet us with compassion. Compassion means ‘to suffer with’. We do not ponder the meaning of compassion often enough when it comes to the Lord. Subconsciously we tend to feel that every moment of grief and struggle is a test of our faith and, most often, we feel that we are failing that test. The Lord is not so removed from us as that perception would indicate. He knows life is hard. He knows what it feels like to be harrowed by grief. He lost his beloved father, Joseph. He lost John the Baptist who died brutally. He is no stranger to grief. 

When we grieve for someone, whether it’s a spouse, a child, a friend or even a beloved pet, we must feel free and comfortable to bring the fullness of our grief to the Lord, knowing we will not be judged but will be held with compassion. As the old hymn says, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”

What a friend!