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March 14, 2006
Showing Emotion
Filed under: God, Faith & Spirituality
Growing up, I remember quoting John 11:35 as my favorite Scripture passage, only because it is the shortest verse in the Bible and I could actually remember it. Later on I would learn that this verse is also one of the vulnerable moments in the life of Jesus as he expresses emotion for the loss of Lazarus.
What stood out to me this morning while reading this familiar story was that Jesus expressed this deep emotion after he had said (not once, but twice) that Lazarus would be raised from the dead. Why would Jesus cry if he knew Lazarus was just moments away from walking out of the grave?
Maybe showing emotion is a good thing, regardless of whether I know the end of the story (good or bad). Instead of staying tough, being strong, and all the other cliches that go with our emotional coverups, perhaps I could take a lead from the Savior on what it means to emote. Not because Divinity demands it but because my humanity needs it.
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Comments
Give it up for vulnerability. I think often emotion is as much for other people as for ourselves. When we show our tender side others feel more free to respond. Maybe Jesus wept for the sake of Mary and Martha.
Posted by: jamaica Abare at March 28, 2006 5:41 PM
Maybe all the above? If we could only fathom the depths of Christ's compassion! When you think of how many times the Word mentions that "He was moved with compassion" before Jesus performed miracles, you realize what the real source of the supernatural power is. I often have to think of what our (my) motivation is to see someone healed, set free, etc... is it to "see a miracle" or simply because our heart is moved with true compassion?
I think often we hold back the flow of compassion because we have a stigma about showing our emotions.
I appreciate all of your thought-provoking posts!
- Z
Posted by: Darren Zander at April 7, 2006 11:25 AM