Jesus Wept: Grief, Divine Empathy, and New Life in Lent

Jesus Wept: Grief, Divine Empathy, and New Life in LentMother Paige reflects on John’s account of the raising of Lazarus as a Lenten Gospel that reveals Jesus as fully human and fully divine and teaches about grief. She notes how the story reverses John’s usual pattern by placing extended discourse before the sign, highlighting Martha’s theology of resurrection and the sisters’ anger that Jesus did not prevent Lazarus’s death. Emphasizing that “Jesus wept” in Greek conveys gut-wrenching sobs, she argues this shows divine empathy as part of God’s nature and that Jesus does not prevent people from facing death and grief. Moving toward Holy Week, she urges listeners to give themselves space to mourn personal and collective traumas (including September 11 and the pandemic), to identify “tombs” and “valleys of dry bones,” pray with Psalm 130, and invite God’s breath and Spirit for healing, grace, freedom, and new life.

00:00 Opening Prayer

00:14 Why Lazarus Matters

01:01 John’s Gospel Clarity

02:09 Grief and the Sisters

02:47 Discourse Before the Sign

04:26 Jesus Wept Ugly Cry

06:17 Divine Empathy in Bethany

08:28 Learning to Grieve

08:53 Collective Trauma Unprocessed

10:56 Preparing for Holy Week

12:26 Valleys of Dry Bones

13:03 Breath of God and Freedom