Daily Manna 25 March
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus wept.” – (John 11:35)
READ: John 11:33-40 (KJV)
33. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35. Jesus wept.
36. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37. And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38. Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days.
40. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Some cultures, like the Greeks’, have a picture of God that shows Him as emotionless, strict and with little or no milk of kindness, but a vengeful and unrepentant Judge. Others see God as being so full of love that would not dare to make anyone sad; even when they have gone astray. In reality, God is loving and severe in handing out judgment when the need arises. He is so good, He empathises with us when we are suffering.
As Christ arrived in the home of Lazarus who had died four days earlier and saw his family, including Mary and Martha his sisters weeping for their dead brother, He could hardly bear seeing them so sorrowful. On sighting the cave where Lazarus was buried, He became overwhelmed and began to weep. Ignoring the snide comments of the Jews who blamed Him for not coming early enough to pray for and heal Lazarus, Jesus commanded that the stone covering the entrance to the cave be removed. He brushed off Martha’s protest that the body would have decayed and been stinking. He told her: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
As children of a God who cares for us and followers of Jesus Christ who “hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4), we should not consider open expression of emotions as a sign of spiritual immaturity, weakness or carnality. Our empathy – visitation, prayers, kind words, even tears – for those who are sorrowful brings comfort and lessens the worst effect of their pain. It also serves to lift their faith and encourage them not to give up hope for the Lord’s intervention.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 13-16
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Demonstrate Your Love – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 25 March 2021
