If Jesus Wept, Why Can’t I?

Several years ago, I was the teacher assigned to the kindergarten hall to help guide parents and students on the first day of school. Just as the final bell was about to ring, I noticed a very large man holding the hand of a very small boy.  The man – the boy’s father – was rushing back down the hallway, obviously extremely agitated about something. He seemed oblivious that his son was literally running to keep up, but his little legs were no match for his daddy’s long strides. I feared he would lose the battle at any second and fall face-first on the floor.

As they neared my post, I heard the father say, “How many times do I have to tell you big boys don’t cry? Dry up those tears right now.”  

Bless him. He tried. He swiped his sleeve under his runny nose and rubbed his free hand down his wet cheeks, trying to wipe away the evidence of his indiscretion. His little body, however, betrayed him with the uncontrollable hiccups that come from crying long and hard. My heart hurt for him. 

As they approached, I assured the father I would get his son to class so that he could go to work. After the little guy buried his head in my neck and cried for a few minutes, we washed his face and hands, cleaned his shirt sleeve as best we could, and walked to his class. When I left him, he was happily engaged in an activity with his new friends. He never said a word, but he didn’t have to. His tears communicated everything I needed to know. 

Our society insists crying is a sign of weakness; therefore, “big boys” don’t cry. I contend this is a fallacy, however, for the following reasons:

• The very one who made us, calmed the raging storm, endured intense torture and a horrible death, wept openly and without shame with Mary and Martha outside Lazarus’ tomb. (John 11:35) He knew he was about to resurrect Lazarus, but He cried with Mary and Martha in their grief. 
• He not only wept with Mary and Martha, but he also took time to stop and weep for the lost souls of Jerusalem as he entered the city for the last time. (Luke 19:41)  
• He cares enough about our tears to collect every one in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

Oh, my friend, take a second to let that sink in. The same is true for you. He knows what YOUR future holds. He loves YOU so much that he weeps WITH YOU in your sadness, in your loneliness, in your pain because he cares for YOU. He cares enough about YOUR soul to weep for YOUR salvation. He knows when tears fall from YOUR eyes. He knows why and cares deeply. So deeply, in fact, that he not only weeps with you but collects every teardrop. 

He will never tell you to dry your eyes. He will never tell you your tears are unnecessary or unacceptable. On the contrary. If someone as powerful as Jesus cares that much for us, I can’t help but believe that we should be willing to weep with and for those in our lives 

– to minister to those who need to hear God loves them

– to tell them sometimes big boys DO cry!

And that’s ok.