The Other Sister

The Other Sister

John 11:28-37, NIV

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Setting the Scene

After her declaration of faith, Martha abruptly returned to her sister, exhibiting the busy character that we see in her elsewhere (Luke 10:38-42). Ever the manager, she informed her sister Mary that Jesus was asking for her, though the account doesn’t record Jesus making that request.

The encounter earlier between Martha and Jesus was initiated with Martha’s blunt verbal affirmation. Mary’s approach was subtly but significantly different. She humbly fell at Jesus’ feet before she spoke. The first words uttered by both sisters were identical. But Mary had already acted on her faith, though neither sister expected what was about to happen.

John tells us that seeing Mary and those following her weeping “deeply moved” and “troubled” Jesus. Various explanations have been considered regarding Jesus’ tears. Some read the tears as signs of Jesus’ care for Lazarus; others questioned Jesus’ motive for withholding healing. We are left with the fact of Jesus’ tears—signs of humanity and engagement, evidence of emotional vulnerability. We who often cannot explain our own tears are touched by Jesus’ demonstration that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV).

Martha and Mary didn’t know what Jesus would do, but they did know Jesus. That was enough.

Getting Personal

Jesus knew what he was going to do (11:11), so why do you think John made a note of his tears in the prelude to a great miracle?

What does it mean to you that Jesus understands your tears—even the ones that go unshed?

Jesus’ tears confirm our permission to grieve, as long as we are not “uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that [we] do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NIV). Tears don’t have to be hopeless. Jesus isn’t ashamed to cry with us, even before he intervenes miraculously.

Talking to God

Jesus completely understands your emotional responses to him as you pray. Even when words fail you in prayer, he understands your heart. So pray freely and honestly.