Thursday, November 23, 2023

Rom. 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” In India, people don’t hesitate to publicly admit and display their mourning when their loved ones die. Similarly to biblical times (Amos 5:16), people in small villages and big cities in India adhere to the practice of hiring professional mourners. Weeping arises from strong emotions like empathy, compassion, and sadness. The act of weeping communicates one’s emotions to others. Though “Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the Bible, it is a power-packed verse. How could the Almighty God weep? Jesus wept for the pain of His friends after Lazarus’ death. He was indeed God! But He was also flesh and blood like every one of us, and He cared for His loved ones. Jesus wept for their lack of faith. Though people had witnessed His astounding miracles, they had lost their faith, which made Jesus feel sad. Jesus wept remembering His upcoming suffering and death on the cross. Like Lazarus, He would be kept inside the grave. Jesus was humble to the point of shedding His glory, and He was human enough to feel anxiety as His death approached. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice and tears, we can be confident our tears will be wiped away. We have this promise to hold to from Rev. 21:4: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Every year since my equipping in 2018, I have seen a difference and growth in my ministry and professional arenas. Currently serving as the president of the Haggai alumni association in Chennai, which is the biggest and oldest in India, God has been enabling me to serve Him efficiently through the equipping I received in Maui. Undoubtedly it is still a learning process from fellow alumni who are rich in God’s Word and their ministerial experiences!