When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. (John 11:32-35)
It’s one of the most emotional moments of a Masters finish – Ben Crenshaw winning the 1995 tournament, then immediately sinking into a crouch, burying his face in his hands, and weeping uncontrollably as his caddie consoled him.
In case you don’t know the background, Crenshaw was tutored for decades by legendary golf instructor Harvey Penick, who had died just a week earlier at age 90. Ben attended the funeral and didn’t arrive at Augusta until Wednesday, one day before the opening round.
He already owned one green jacket from his 1984 win, but eleven years later, Crenshaw struggled with his emotions and golf game. In his own words, “I was an emotional wreck.”
Incredibly, Crenshaw defied the odds and played well all four days, forging a two-stroke lead heading into the 18th hole on Sunday. He needed the extra cushion as he sank a short putt for a one-stroke victory over Davis Love III.
In the post-round interviews, Love III graciously commented, “It was meant to be.” And a still emotional Crenshaw said, “I played with a 15th club in my bag, named Harvey.”
As we turn to the Bible, we find a story in which Jesus wept with great emotion. It occurred in Bethany, where Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. But let’s focus on what happened just before that.
When Jesus arrives, Martha comes out of the house to meet him. They have a conversation that ultimately leads to Jesus declaring who he is and then asking, “Do you believe this?” In John 11:27, Martha answers, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Then Mary comes outside, falls at Jesus’ feet, and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus is deeply moved by Mary and the others’ mourning. After Jesus is told where Lazarus is lying, we come to John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”
There are over 31,000 verses in the Bible, and John 11:35 is the shortest. It’s also one of the most powerful. The fact that Jesus wept is a reminder that the Son of God left heaven to live a fully human life on earth. That means he experienced the same emotions that we do—grief, sorrow, suffering, and loss. We can take heart in knowing that we have a Savior who can relate to our pain because he experienced it himself.
Back to the miracle this story is remembered for. Yes, Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead was an amazing miracle. But it was temporary; later, Lazarus died again, and death is a reality that we will all face eventually. The point to remember is that Jesus did not come to spare us the experience of physical death; Jesus came to offer us the path to eternal life. Amen!
Prayer: Lord, we give thanks in knowing that our time on earth is temporary and our eternal home is with you. Please help us to remember that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)