God Weeps With Us

Believe me, preaching to any family during a funeral is never easy, but delivering a homily to parents whose newborn infant has died is most challenging and gut wrenching.  Why did this have to happen is the raw question on everyone’s mind? The answer comes not in some clever homily that will take away the pain. Rather, I can only share that I am here to help the parents mourn and commend their baby into God’s care. And to ask God to help us and most especially the parents through this tragedy.

There are the moments when we prefer to lock the doors of our hearts and be left alone. Behind closed doors is where we find the apostles after the death of Jesus. The disciples were afraid that those responsible for the death of Jesus might hunt them down, get rid of the whole movement, root and branch, once and for all. They were afraid of public ridicule. You know: “You’re a bunch of losers.” They were afraid to go home—after all, they had left all things to follow Jesus—and admit they were wrong. Better to hide till it was all over.

In moments in which we have more questions than answers like the death of a child, we weep, just as Jesus himself wept at the death of his friend Lazarus.  Even if we knew the answers to the questions that rise so naturally to our hearts and minds at times like this, there still would be no adequate explanation for this loss. It is painful. And I believe it is also painful to God, who created the world intending for it to be perfect. Let me remind you what Jesus shared: "It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish."

There is a special place in the heart of God and amongst the angels for the little ones of this world just as there is a special place in our hearts for any newborn who has died.  And so we weep when this happens.  And so too I believe - “God weeps with us.”  There isn't much we can say that will help.

Let me point to the gospel story about doubting Thomas and tell you about Jesus. His disciples were like all parents whose child has died hiding in fear behind locked doors. Jesus appears in their midst—and here you must notice, cannot fail to notice—he appears with his wounds! Maybe, Jesus feels, if he, like all parents whose child has died, can appear before them wounded, they will let him back into their hurting lives.

Are you getting the message? When it hurts too much to hope, when life has wounded us, when faith is exhausted, know that the risen Jesus with his wounds is waiting to get into our wounded and fearful lives and call us out of our fears.

Jesus got his wounds on Good Friday so that we might let him in on Easter.  He is willing to come through the doors we have used to shut Him out and is standing outside with those terrible wounds searching out our terrible wounds, letting us know He understands where we are coming from and that He can give us peace and restore our broken hearts.

God watches over us as we pray: “Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” (John 20: 26-28).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who can’t or don’t feel like praying. Go away on your own and simply repeat these words, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Give your wounds to the wounded Jesus.