"Jesus wept." John 11:35
Three. That's how many times this verse popped into my daily routine this week. If you've spent any time around church or in the Bible, you know there's some symbolism in the number three. And as a former writing teacher, I just love symbolism. It kinda makes me think someone...maybe Someone with a capital S, was trying to tell me something.
You may be asking yourself, why did Jesus cry if he is omniscient. This aha moment occurred to me today...while listening to this for the THIRD time. To give you a little background, Jesus got word that one of his besties, Lazarus, had died. Now, mind you, Jesus didn't need anyone to slide into his DM's to relay that message to him, he already knew, but someone delivered the news anyway. Jesus took his sweet time getting to Lazarus, where there he comforted Martha, who had lots of questions, and a sobbing Mary. Jesus knew he was about to put the ultimate band aid on this situation by raising Lazarus from the dead, but was so taken back by Mary's grief that he cried, too.
If you've made it this far, you're thinking, "Cool, Emily. No need to break out the Sunday School felt board, we all know this story." But if you're like me, I am always looking for how I can apply this to my life. When I look at Jesus, I see a prime example of a parent. He is the Heavenly Father, after all...
Something I battle with is letting my kiddos feel their feelings. I tend to be a helicopter parent, who wants to swoop in to prevent disappointment before it happens. Jesus could have done that, too. In fact, Martha tried to call Jesus out, saying, "If you would have been here, this wouldn't have happened." But Jesus isn't a helicopter Savior. He lets us feel our feelings. He feels them with us. Is he cruel? No, he just knows these disappointments on Earth are temporary.
As a parent, I need to realize that it's Ok for my kids to feel sad. Maybe I should grab a box of tissues and cry with them. I don't have to fix it. Making a B on your math test, not getting picked for the team you want, not making the Spelling Bee, are all temporary disappointments. As Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."
As a parent, I'm not called to fix everything. I'm here to point them to the one that can.
