A Prayer about Jesus’ Tears
A Prayer about Jesus’ Tears
Jesus wept. John 11:35
Compassionate Lord,
Even though the day most people exchange gifts
has come and gone,
or maybe especially because that day
has come and gone, it’s a good time
to contemplate this baby in the manger.
Many of us love the Christmas lullaby
“Away in a Manger,”
but I do think the authors got one thing wrong:
“The little Lord Jesus,
no crying he makes….”
That can’t be right.
Babies cry.
They express their need for food,
clean diapers,
and sleep
by crying.
Jesus was fully human,
and he likely cried when he was a baby,
especially if cows were mooing in his ear.
Heavenly Father, may we never forget Jesus’ true humanity,
but also may we believe in his deep sympathy,
his passion for and with us.
Not only did he cry as a baby,
he wept as a man
over his friend Lazarus’ death.
He came to reverse the curse of sin
by submitting to death on a cross.
He sweated blood
as he agonized in the garden
over his impending death.
Yes, Lord, Jesus wept.
May we affirm the cries of the baby Jesus
and may we trace the tears of our Savior.
In his sacrificial name we pray. Amen.
Read John 11:28-44; Luke 22:39-46.
![Have you ever felt forsaken?
He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8
Faithful Father,
In times that we feel forsaken,
whether because of betrayal or abandonment or loss,
may we remember,
“It is the Lord who goes before [us],”
and you will never leave us or forsake us.
You are a God who made a covenant,
a promise of love to your people
that you alone upheld.
Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed you in the garden,
you promised to send your Son to destroy Satan (Gen. 3:15).
You promised Abraham to make him a great nation (Gen. 12:2),
and you continued to love your people, the Israelites,
even though they continued to rebel against you:
“For the mountains may depart,
and the hills may be removed,
but my steadfast love will not depart from you” (Isaiah 54:10).
In your most stunning proof of your commitment
to bring your people back to you,
you allowed your Son to be forsaken on the cross,
to die for our sins,
that we might become your children.
Because you will never leave nor forsake
your children in Christ,
when we feel lonely
or exiled
or forgotten,
we need not “fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
In Jesus’ faith-full name we pray. Amen.
Read Deuteronomy 31:8; Isaiah 54.
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