The Gravity of Breathing [2] Heavy

Gravity of Breathing [2] Heavy

John 11:21-37
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.

30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.

31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,

34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

Greek

John 11:33 When Jesus saw Mary Weeping

[2799, Klaio=To mourn for the dead, to lament]

John 11:35 Jesus Wept

[1145, Dakruo= To weep, To shed Tears]

Even though both Mary and Jesus cry, they have different meanings, and are caused by different things. Marys tears come from the death of her brother Lazarus, she is filled with grief and lost, and is mourning his death. Jesus on the other hand displays a more subtle kind of crying. When know people saw him, but it’s means more of to shed a few tears.

I have heard this story taught my whole life that isn’t it beautiful that Jesus is crying because he misses Lazarus his friend, and this story shows the humanity of Jesus and God to have compassion on mankind.

I don’t think that’s what’s going on here. We learn in verse 1-6 that Jesus knows Lazarus is sick, and even says “this sickness will not end in death, but it’s for the Glory of God” He then waits 2 more days before he even leaves to go see him. By the time Jesus gets there Lazarus has been dead for 4 days, and Jesus doesn’t even flinch. He’s calm and cool and has everything under control. Notice Jesus doesn’t cry when he talks to Martha, and it’s not even just Mary crying, but Mary and the crowd of people that move Jesus.

It then says he was troubled [33] [5015, tarasso= to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind]

Something about this scene takes Jesus calmness away, it can’t be just Lazarus death, and it seems like we’re missing details between verses 33-35, it gets choppy. All we know is that the atmosphere is heavy because people mourning a friends death. Death isn’t black and white for the people still living, it’s the emotional color palette of every gray imaginable. It was heavy

So it Jesus isn’t mourning, then theres only two other things I think cause tears.

1. Physical pain

2. Pressure

Oxford American Dictionary [Heavy]

1 of great weight; difficult to lift or move

2 of great density; thick or substantial

5 mentally oppressive; hard to endure : a heavy burden of responsibility.

Have you been there?

You know those moments in life, where you can’t wash another dish, you can’t take the trash out again, you can’t pick up another toy off the floor, you can’t have that conversation one more time, you can’t work another hour. Have you had a moment when the atmosphere is heavy. It’s so heavy and thick, and it’s not black and white, is all the shades of gray, and it almost feels like it’s pushing on your shoulders, but your scared to tell anyone because it might change the way they see you. So you just push it aside and keep going, and moving, and working, and living. And there comes a moment where you stop, and something about life, something about silence pokes a little hole in your side, and you start to spill all over the floor.

Have you ever cried for no reason, just because your due?

What if Jesus is feeling the pressure of responsibility, feeling like he has to do everything.

Maybe there’s part of Jesus that feels the heavy pressure of being saviour.

of people wanting him to put on a show

of people doubting his identity

of people grumbling behind his back

of people trying to set him up

Lazarus death is the foreshadowing of Jesus death, it’s this single moment that puts the crucifixion in motion. It doesn’t take a lot of faith to believe in someone who can raise people from the dead. So the scriptures say the people who saw believed, and then there were some who went to the pharisees and told them what they saw and from that time the pharisees and high priest plotted to kill Jesus.

What if Jesus in this moment he realizes he has to go to the cross, he can’t walk around raising everyone from the dead, he can’t heal everyone, he can’t protect everyone, he can’t feed everyone, he can’t keep teaching and explaining, he can’t save everyone! But the pressure of living this life where everyone around him pulls on his heart strings, including the people closet to him, to try and make him move in their behalf is stacking on his shoulders.

Maybe I’m part of those people, who’s only response to God is
“Lord, if You had been here, this wouldn’t of happened”
“If you loved me, then you’d save me from this”
” If you were real, then why don’t you do something”

Maybe we need to learn to stop avoiding heavy moments in life because those are moments when God moves.

Maybe because it’s the only time if life were we stop moving long enough for God to break us.

When was the last time you felt heavy?