Precious Tears

“Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?’" (John 20:11-15)

Sometimes during our life we have trouble recognizing Jesus, just as Mary did, especially when we are weighed down by grief. Even though we know that Jesus put an end to death through his passion and resurrection, here on earth we still experience death. When someone we love dies our heart aches and sometimes we wonder how we will be able to go on. How am I supposed to go on without my child? Without my child that I carried in my womb for 9 months, nursed and nurtured throughout the years and had torn from my life without warning? How am I supposed to go on without my spouse that I was married to for 53 years? Without my spouse to whom I have become one with, who knows my thoughts and can finish my sentences for me?  The one who knows all my quirks and faults and loves me anyway?

We may not be able to recognize that our Lord is there with us in the darkness, but he is. And he is there in the love and support of our friends and family even though nothing they say will make it better, their presence is also Christ’s presence. Jesus himself wept over the death of his friend, Lazarus, even though he knew that he would raise him from the dead and knew that he would put an end to death with his passion and resurrection. Having faith in our Lord and the promise of eternal life does not negate the profound pain of these deep losses but it does provide us with the hope necessary to keep us from despair. Jesus knows the importance of needing love and support during our grief and that those in mourning need his physical presence through the gift of self from others. That is why he teaches us to care for the widow because without her spouse she is lost and hurting. He instructs us to care for those who mourn. The Lord is aware of each tear that we shed and they are precious to him. Our pain is real, our grief is profound and until we ourselves are united with our loved ones who have gone before us and our King, he will hold us in the palm of his hand and our tears are recorded in his book.

“Are my tears not stored in your vial, recorded in your book?” (Psalm 56:9)