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Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
It’s OK to Cry
When was the last time you had a good, hard cry? What was it about? Was it truly a good cry, or was there remorse or regret in it? There IS a difference in our cries–it lies in the heart behind them.
“In the days of His humanity, [Jesus] offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”
Hebrews 5:7-8 NASB
JESUS OFFERED UP BOTH PRAYERS AND PLEAS WITH LOUD CRYING AND TEARS
These verses recently stopped me in my tracks. I was fully aware of Jesus praying and pleading with the Father during His time here on earth as a human, but it’s how He prayed and pleaded in this verse that struck me differently–“with loud crying and tears!” We may remember seeing Jesus’ agony, praying and pleading in the garden, pending His death, when “His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44 NLT); but have you heard this kind of prayer? His suffering was SO heavy that it caused Him to cry loudly with a HEAVY amount of emotion!! The Greek word for this literal “outcry” helps me wrap my mind around this more; it says it was like a “boisterous shrieking, like a wounded person emitting non-human-type sounds.”1 Doesn’t it make you wonder how Peter, James, and John slept through that and didn’t hear it, being nearby?!? Jesus cried real teardrops and made loud, agonizing noises in His suffering that would turn any head; He experienced deep feeling in His senses; He was affected!
WHAT DID JESUS DO WHEN HE FELT LIKE THIS?
Based on the meanings of the Greek words in these two verses, Jesus:
- Moved toward the Father in order to interact…to connect…with Him.
- Brought His suffering…His personal, urgent, heart-felt needs…to the Father, knowing what He was going through was prescribed for a specific conclusion.
- Was humble, even though He urgently asked for His suffering and anguish to pass and sought peace (refuge/safety from the danger awaiting Him). His humility was similar to presenting an olive branch, which was a sign of willingness to bring a conflict to a conclusion. Even though His humanity sought peace from His suffering, He was willing to finish what He was sent to do! An olive branch is also a sign of purity, peace, and victory. In carrying His suffering to the Father (the One Who sent Him for the purpose of fulfilling the required payment for sin), laying it down, and offering Himself willingly, Jesus was the olive branch–the pure and spotless one required for a sin sacrifice (Hebrews 7:24-27); the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), the One Who made peace between us and the Father (Colossians 1:19-20); and the victor over death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
- Cried, yet even in His tears, there was an engaging, combative strength. Through His trusting in His Father’s commission (even though He, in His humanity, wasn’t excited about what He was about to physically go through), the Father heard His prayers and pleas and unleashed His power, enabling and empowering Christ, in His human form, to complete the assignment the Father gave Him to do…and to do so fearlessly.
- Listened and heard the Father reiterating His mission.
- Took hold of what was good (which is what “devout” means) out of the experiences He suffered through (whether because of demons or humans) and submitted to the Father. He focused on what was truly worthwhile and outwardly responded in obedience from there. As we know, He went on to die on the cross and complete His mission. Isn’t a huge part of being a servant (which Jesus claimed to be–Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, Luke 22:26-27, John 13:12-17) obedience?!?
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
Christ experienced suffering! We know this, yet why do we think we’ve done something wrong, if things start to go “wrong?” If Jesus, as the Son of God, experienced suffering and heavy emotion, why would we, as children of God, think we get a free pass and shouldn’t experience suffering…the kind that makes our souls and voices shriek…ourselves? On the flip side, we also shouldn’t think that we’re not adopted children of God, because we’re in a time of suffering! When we experience suffering (that hasn’t been caused by a sinful decision), we have the opportunity to take hold of what’s good out of it, just like Jesus did. We have the unique experience that requires a response, and how we respond shows others what we feel is worthwhile (worthy of respect).
One day, in the New Jerusalem, there won’t be any of this type of crying (Yeah! This same kind of “boisterous shrieking” that Jesus felt…and we can feel on our journey here.). Let’s stay focused on why we’re here, submit, and obey. Even when it’s hard and our humanity wants the danger to go away, we have the opportunity to grab hold of something good out of it!
What is God Asking You to Obey Him in Right now?
What “Good” Are You Grabbing Hold of in What You’re Going Through?
Take a Peek at the List of Jesus’ Responses to Suffering, Again, Above. Do You Need to Respond Differently to Imitate Him in Something You’re Going Through?
1 “2906. kraugé.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/2906.htm. Accessed 14 September 2022.
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