Jesus Wept - He was No Wimp

I have a print of this painting in my dining room. It's called "The Compassionate Christ" by Fern Beckham. Fern had an amazing gift for painting the expression in a person's eyes.

Whenever I hear people talking about how men aren't supposed to cry, I shake my head. I happen to believe that a man is never more a man than when he is brave enough to let his feelings show, especially his tender feelings. The idea that men aren't supposed to cry has crippled so many men emotionally. Men are human just like women are. God created us in His image, and few things are more a reflection of God than honest emotion expressed in ways that do not hurt other people.

When I hear some people put a man down for expressing compassion, sadness or grief, who tell him (say, at the burial of his wife, brother, sister, father, or mother) "Straighten up. Be a man!" ... I think of Jesus. He was no wimp. In fact, He was such a complete man that He wasn't afraid to show how He felt. So yes, He cried.

He grieved when John the Baptist died. He cried in frustration and compassion at the tomb of Lazarus.

He wept in agony over the unbelief and stubbornness demonstrated by the people of Jerusalem, the jewel of His beloved Israel. Before His arrest and crucifixion, He was in such agony of spirit in the Garden of Gethsemane that He sweat great drops of blood, a real medical condition called hemochromatosis, in which the blood vessels around the sweat glands burst from severe emotional stress, and the blood comes out of the pores, mixed with sweat. (A side-effect of this condition is that any pressure on the skin is extremely painful. Think about that!!)

And today by His Spirit, Jesus knocks, pounds, bangs on the heart's door of every believer who cares more about being right, or being rich, than being in His presence. He is supremely passionate about this one thing: fellowship, intimacy with us.

No, He's not afraid of expressing how He feels.

Why are we?
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