Needless Neglect

Some might say, in honest zealous vein,
It was His flesh that wept before the tomb,
As if a friend's death should not vex God's mien;
Or that sorrow is sin for those who wound.
Wrong! Such error needs to be refuted;
Let heaven ring and the whole earth resound---
He who grieves has no offense imputed,
Nor does mourning mark where evil is found.
The Father must have sobbed when angels sinned,
Expelled from heav'n to cause earth's perdition;
He grieved when His Son to the cross was pinned,
And when men turned their backs on contrition.
Yes, God has a heart, and it often groans
At needless neglect from His redeemed ones.

(Special Note to Pastor Adam: Thank you, sir, for reading my blog, Suffice This Wee World; and praises to the Messiah. I am very interested in your suggestion and will follow it. I will comment after consideration.)

The poem above, Needless Neglect, speaks of the weeping of Jesus before His friend Lazarus' tomb. (See John 11:37) This brother of Mary and Martha had been dead four days; the Savior could have healed him but was delayed.

Many Christians wonder at the fact that Jesus the Messiah could cry. Of course God can cry and mourn like man, because men are made in His image. He can do anything we can do, but we can't do anything He can do. He could have healed Lazarus from a distance. Jesus probably wanted to send a message of hope across the centuries that He is able to defeat death and the grave no matter how long it has been since death.

"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out---those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (John 5:28-29)

We will all come forth from wherever our bodies are---whether in the grave, cremated and the ashes scattered, lost at sea, blown to bits in war or explosion; none of the ways death occurred makes any difference, His power will call us back to life. Oh, yes, everyone will come forth (but not all at the same time) and live again. Since a judgment is coming for everyone, to separate the "good" from the "evil", and you must be in one group or the other, now is the time to make sure you're in the first group---the one that lives.