Our Compassionate and Loving Savior
I have known about the verse John 11:35 for a long time. It is usually discussed as a trivia question. The question being “What is the shortest verse in the Bible?” I never really thought about it too much until last year in our small group. We were watching the movie “The Gospel of John.” This movie is a word for word dramatization of John’s gospel.
Seeing the Gospel of John acted out I understood much better what was being said and I could feel it. If you read the passage John 11:1-45 you will see it is the story of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. Lazarus was sick and dying, so Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus to come so he could heal Lazarus before it was too late. Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus had died. When Mary heard that Jesus was nearby and he wanted to see her, she ran to where he was.
In this scene in the movie Mary falls at Jesus’ feet weeping. You can see how distraught she is. Mary says to Jesus, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary weeping it moved him greatly and he wept also. To me it was such a powerful scene in the movie. I know when I saw this scene it really touched my heart to see our Lord so moved by Mary’s pain. He understood what she was going through. After Jesus talks with Mary, he goes to Lazarus' tomb. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
I believe our Lord understands all our pain and grief. It is comforting to me to know we have a God that understands our weaknesses, failures, and pain and still loves us unconditionally. Romans 8:38-39 says, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Amen.
Reflection Written by Robert Monson
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I feel so blessed and grateful for the love you have for me and for the whole world.
In Jesus's name, we pray, Amen.
Please take a moment to consider what God is speaking to you through the scripture passage and the devotional reflection.
Then, spend some time in prayer—pray for your own soul, and lift up we lift up the leaders in our community, town, state, nation, and the world. We ask for God’s wisdom to guide them in their decision-making. Help them to lead with integrity, compassion, and justice, always seeking the common good
May God’s peace be with them!
You can also listen to the music provided below as a backdrop
for your time of prayer.
My Prayer for You by Alisa Turner