By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Life
“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
The shortest verse in the bible creates a powerful image with just two words – Jesus wept. In this scripture passage from the gospel of John, Jesus is speaking to Martha and Mary about the death of their brother Lazarus. The sisters were lamenting to Jesus about His delay in coming to heal their brother.
Jesus knew He could raise Lazarus from the dead, so why did He shed tears? Jesus chose what ultimately would give the most glory to God the Father by raising Lazarus from the dead. The suffering of those who mourned Lazarus touched the heart of Jesus. His compassion was a glimpse of the Father’s grief over the sinful nature of His children. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus knew He would soon pay a heavy price for the sins of a world in great need of healing. He would carry the cross not only for the short-term resurrection of Lazarus, but also for eternal life for each one of us. I am certain our Father in Heaven sheds many tears over the rejection of this beautiful gift, which is so freely given to us. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death, mourning, or pain, the old order has passed away. The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write these things down for they are trustworthy and true” (Revelations 21:4-5).
We are living in challenging times! Trustworthy information is hard to find. I look for truth in the teachings of Jesus with Sacred Scripture every day. This Lent, I encourage everyone to read Matthew 5, particularly verses 43-48.
We are witnessing the effects of hatred toward mankind in our world. I often wonder why people are participating by ignoring the cause or accepting the remedy. It is difficult to live in a culture that disregards God’s plan for all things sacred like protecting life, the sanctity of marriage, our God given identity and unconditional love of our neighbor.
During our Religion class, we were preparing for Lent by discussing the events portrayed in the Stations of the Cross. I asked one of our grandsons why he thought Jesus fell three times. He said with great confidence, “Jesus fell three times because He was denied three times by Peter.” I expected him to say that Jesus was exhausted. The connection this eight-year-old mind understood about the betrayal and the suffering of Jesus on Calvary was incredible.
Our Lenten journey should be about making sure we advance our faithfulness to God. Desiring holiness is a daily goal, and sharing the gospel message with love is a great place to start. We should love our brothers and sisters in Christ, like Martha and Mary, and call upon Jesus to heal our souls. When someone is offending God, do not be afraid to tell them about the mercy of God.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is where healing begins. If a person’s heart is not pure, they are incapable of seeing God. Don’t be blinded. Pray for eyes of faith, and God will make all things new! He is weeping and waiting for you to be renewed. Amen!