Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
And 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.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When 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.
32 When 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.”
33 When 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.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
When Jesus finally arrives, Martha and Mary both say the same words. If you had been here, my brother would not have died. These words carry both faith and pain. They are honest, raw, and unfiltered.
Jesus does not rebuke them for their honesty. Instead, He engages them. He speaks truth to Martha, declaring that He is the resurrection and the life. He invites her to believe. With Mary, He responds differently. He sees her weeping and is deeply moved. Then comes the shortest and one of the most powerful verses in Scripture. Jesus wept.
This moment reveals the heart of Jesus. He is not distant from our pain. He enters into it. Isaiah 53 describes Him as a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He does not observe our grief from afar. He shares it.
Psalm 62 invites us to pour out our hearts to God. This is what Mary and Martha do. They bring their full selves to Jesus, and in doing so, they encounter Him more deeply. Their tears become the place of connection.
In our lives, we often feel the need to present a composed version of ourselves to God. We filter our emotions, thinking that faith means having it all together. But real faith is not about hiding our struggles. It is about bringing them honestly to Jesus.
Learn to bring your true emotions to God. Tell Him what you feel. Express your grief, your questions, and even your disappointment. Trust that He welcomes you in that place.
It also means being present with others in their pain. Just as Jesus wept, we are called to sit with those who are hurting. Sometimes the most powerful ministry is simply being there.
Tears connect us to Jesus in a way that nothing else can. In our weakness, we discover His presence.
Reflect: What emotions do you need to bring honestly to Jesus today? How can you be present with someone else who is hurting this week?
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my pain. Thank You that I do not have to hide my struggles from You. Help me to be honest with You and to trust that You care deeply. Teach me also to care for others as You do. Amen.