Our Comfort in Sorrow

“Jesus wept” – John 11:35

When Mary and Martha lost their brother Lazurus “Jesus wept”.

Death is inevitable, our life on earth is for a moment and before we understand it fully it can be taken away.

Recently, the death of a friend’s wife made me realise the futility of this life on earth. We plan and gather putting an endless amount of energy to achieve things and make life more comfortable; finding the best job with high pay, get married, have children, buy a house etc, to realise all efforts are vain and meaningless at the end of the day. In this broken world, sorrow is our constant companion.

Jesus came to this earth and lived as a human to identify with our sorrow. He understood the futility of our everyday labour by working as a carpenter, investing His time and efforts in making items of furniture that never lasted. Eventually, He laid down His life for the redemption of God’s chosen people on the command of His Heavenly Father. He experienced more pain than any of us, His Sorrow was greater than our sorrows, yet He endured it for our sake to earn for us a better life on the other side.

He knows what it means to be in sorrow and pain. In difficult times as these, He is our comfort, He is our anchor to which we hold on – through storms, in death, in sufferings, He is our Hope, the one who said “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” – take heart.

Lord, help us lean on you and find comfort in your loving arms.