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“‘Where have you put him?’ he asked them. They told him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him!’” (John 11:34-36).

Jesus had an extraordinary bond with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—they weren’t just casual acquaintances. We can catch a glimpse of His nature by observing the way He became intimately involved in their lives. Nothing has changed; Jesus still has a yearning to be close to His people today. We see into the heart of Jesus through two of the most powerful words in the entire Bible, found in John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”

I don’t believe He was weeping for Lazarus, but rather for Mary and Martha. He loved them so much that He shed tears of empathy. His heart ached because of their deep sorrow. I genuinely believe that every tear you shed also runs down the cheek of Jesus! He weeps today when you drown in the depths of grief. He declares, “Oh, how I love you, My dear one! I want to hold you in my arms and whisper that everything will be okay.” Can you feel the heartbeat of Jesus in you? He loves you that much! You are that special to Him. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. You are that precious! I love my children more than life itself, but I can’t tell you how many hairs are on their heads. Jesus can!

Not only does He love us as much as we love our children, but He loves us more than any earthly father ever could because He doesn’t just show love, He is love. Everything that “love” is, Jesus is. When He looks at His children, He looks with a heart filled with love and tender compassion. He weeps over the things that so deeply affect us and sends His Holy Spirit to comfort us.

Dear friend, if you’re in pain right now, the most potent medicine for you is the knowledge that Jesus cares for you in your struggle, and He weeps with you! He loves you. You have a purpose and a destiny, and you can be encouraged by the knowledge that He has not forgotten you. He will answer when you call on His name in faith!

Grab hold of the following Scriptures, meditate on them, and allow them to minister to your pain:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18).

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

There is no wound so great that He cannot mend it; He will put the broken pieces of your life back together again and make you a vessel of honor. You will be better than before. I once heard someone say, “I’m a mess, Lord, but I’m your mess!” When we surrender our lives to Him, He will show Himself incredibly faithful. He draws near to the brokenhearted, and He is closest when tragedy strikes. So, run into His loving embrace and let His comfort meet your needs. He’s waiting . . .

I want you to know, precious friend, that Jesus collects all our tears, but not all tears are sad tears. Some tears express deep emotion. Let’s look a little deeper at this.

“And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment” (Luke 7:37-38, KJV).

Once when I was praying, I felt an overwhelming desire to kneel before Him. As I did so, the Holy Spirit came, and I couldn’t stop weeping no matter how much I tried. I just lay on the floor as His love and tenderness swept over me in waves. Those tears were not from sadness; His great love deeply touched me, and I responded with seemingly endless tears. I was very still for a long time, just basking in His presence when suddenly the Lord impressed this on my spirit, “Steve, you’re weeping at my feet.” I had the inner sense that He was standing in front of me, and I became keenly aware that He was to my right; I was weeping at His feet. That revelation kept me on the floor for many hours, transforming me from the inside out, giving me a revelation I would never forget.

The Sweet Master Jesus came and received my tears as a beautiful offering. Our Lord loves our tears. Just like the woman in Luke 7, we anoint Him with our love when we weep at His feet, adoring Him with our whole being. How can we not become transformed in His presence?

Mary was always at His feet. She loved to love Him and anointed Him with her tears, and our Lord loved her back. She got the attention of Father, and because of her sincere devotion, she went down in history as a great lover of God!

“Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught” (Luke 10:39).

“When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died’” (John 11:32).

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance” (John 12:3).

So regardless of whether your tears are the result of sorrow or a heart full of adoration, run into His loving embrace and let His comfort and love meet you where you are. He’s waiting . . .

Pray with me, dear one:
Beloved Lord, You care for me in my struggles, and You weep when I weep! Thank You for your deep compassion that changes everything. I thank You for giving me a purpose and a destiny, and that You have not forgotten me. Come and collect all my tears, whether adoring or sad. Help me to lie at Your feet each day and anoint them with my love! Every tear I shed, is dear to You. Use each moment to transform me into Your image as I worship and adore You. Let me minister to You. Lift me to higher realms of understanding. Sweet Lover of my soul, draw me ever closer.

–Steve Porter

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