“Jesus wept”.
John 11:35
When God looks at our suffering through his narrow lens, his heart is moved. Jesus wept at the graveside of Lazarus. He often wept when He prayed, pouring out tears in the garden of Gethsemane. Reading through the Gospels, it is clear that emotion choked His throat and empathy filled His eyes as He looked out on suffering people, like a shepherd gathering bewildered, sick, and lost sheep. Our sufferings matter to the Almighty and He has wept in empathy time and again.
But heaven will reveal something different. The mosaic, of which I spoke about yesterday, will reveal an eternal plan that was never-for-a-moment threatened, never in jeopardy of collapsing, and never on the edge of defeat. People whose suffering seemed confounding on earth will see this marvelous mosaic – God will personally flip right-side-up the tangled embroidery of that scarred life to reveal the delicate and beautiful pattern never observed on earth. Those who have been martyred or tortured – the Christians in the genocide of south Sudan, Armenia, and China – will stand and adore God for His plan in their suffering.
We will experience love like we never imagined. This is good news for people who have never been “the most important person” in anyone’s life. But in heaven, “All shall have as much love as they desire… as much as they can bear. Such will be the sweet and perfect harmony among the heavenly saints, perfect love reigning in every heart toward every other, without limit or restriction or interruption.”[1]
Best of all, Jesus Christ and His Bride will no longer taste tears (unless they are tears of joy?!). The grand and glorious mosaic – the wide-angle way of looking at life – will be revealed and we shall finally understand. In the meantime, Psalm 56:8 promises, “Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record?“
Lord Jesus, your tears are very precious to me. Thank you that you wept on my behalf when you interceded for me and all those you love.
Blessings,
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