“Do not weep” seems like an insensitive thing to say to a widow who has lost her only son. Right in the midst of her incredible pain, Jesus tells her to stop crying. As usual, Jesus knows something we do not. Jesus is setting the stage for God to move in a way that changes forever how those gathered around the son see life. God does not cause pain, despair, and suffering, but through those feelings God helps us feel joy, hope, and life.

“Do not weep” is not an insensitive command from Jesus to a grieving mother; it's a doorway to hope for a faithful mother. Jesus knows her pain. Jesus has compassion for her, and out of that compassion says, “Do not weep.” Jesus has something to say to us when we are feeling the sting of pain. Jesus wants to offer us that same doorway into an incredible hope that can only be found as we fight through suffering.

What part of your life needs the hope Jesus is offering? To what pain in your life is Jesus saying, “Do not weep?”

by Chris Cherry from d365.org