While that might be a convenient verse to quote quickly, few have stopped to consider its importance. Those who have, pose a variety of interpretations. One of the most common suggests that because some in the crowd questioned why Jesus had not kept Lazarus from dying (verse 37), it made Jesus so upset that he cried. After all, the very next verse points out that Jesus "was once more deeply moved" (verse 38), proof positive that Jesus wept because he was upset at the unbelief of some in the crowed. But what does that suggest about Jesus? At the very least, it suggests that when Jesus was upset enough, he responded by crying. For some reason, it seems unacceptable that Jesus could have wept simply because he was sorrowful or grieving.
The context of this short but profound statement points out that when Jesus saw Mary weeping (verse 33), he responded emotionally and empathetically to her grief. In fact, some in the crowd noted, "See how he loved him" (verse 36). Jesus could not have been grieving at the death of Lazarus since he knew very well what the Father had planned. He was simply sharing in the sorrow of Mary and her friends. Not only is it acceptable to believe that Jesus wept out of compassion for Mary in her grief, doing so paints a very important picture of the heart of Jesus, and of God.
A great deal of our faith development depends on how we view God. For some, God is a grumpy old man sitting on a throne, criticizing and judging us. In fact, God may be hoping we will make a mistake, knowing that inevitably we will, so he can slap us and remind us what losers we are. Or just reject us outright! God would certainly never grieve for us, mourning our poor choices and their consequences. However, "Jesus wept" paints a very different picture of God.
When the antediluvian society became utterly corrupt, "it grieved [God] at his heart" (Genesis 6:6). While the Israelites were demonstrating their hardness of heart while wandering in the wilderness, God "grieved with this generation" (Psalm 95:10). While giving Jeremiah a message of judgment for Judah, God revealed, "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people" (9:1). God wept! God takes no pleasure in the failings and pain of people but only in any opportunity to demonstrate his love for them. "Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23).
The story of Mary and Lazarus was not the only time the Gospel records Jesus weeping. Before his trial and crucifixion, Jesus saw the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing the judgment that was to come (Luke 19:41). Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would be "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). God's heart is filled with love, a love that gives selflessly to others and grieves when that gift is refused.
Some might say that these passages are simply examples of human beings making God in their own image. The truth is, human beings are made in God's image. The human capacity for empathy and sympathy are true reflections of the heart of God. It is a sign that God's heart of love is working a change in our lives when we are able to "rejoice with those who rejoice [and] mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15).
Seeing Jesus on the cross, hearing his cry, "Father, forgive them," is the purest example of the heart of God. At that moment, God was not only demonstrating his love for us, God was also inviting us to return to a life-giving, intimate relationship with him. Jesus made the way for us, and his love still reaches out to us today.
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