“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I swiped through my Facebook news feed in shock, as funeral announcements and memorial services for those who had died of Covid lined the page. A distant relative, the mother of a friend and an acquaintance from church had all succumbed to the pandemic. Their images were interspersed with news of mayhem from across the country. Corpses lining the streets of Uttar Pradesh, the desperate cries of the sick who lacked oxygen in the hospitals of Gujarat and a death toll that was increasing daily. As I sat disillusioned, I received the worst news of all, my estranged father had also passed away and they were unsure how.  Although he had deserted our family when I was just a child, the loss still hurt. Fear and death were everywhere and Covid suddenly seemed very personal.

Jesus understood the pain of personal loss. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha were more than mere acquaintances of His, they were dear friends (John 11:11). Their home was His resting place in Bethany, and his love for Lazarus was evident in the message that was sent to him, it said “Lord, the one you love is sick.” (John 11:3). I wonder if Mary and Martha waited at their door for Jesus, expectantly and hopefully. It would take a couple of days, but surely, He would come! Afterall this was a simple disease for Him to cure, had not the blind and lame been healed at His Masterful touch? But hours turned into days and He did not come.

At the onset of trouble, we too wait with eager expectation and hope for Jesus to come through. As days go by, our eagerness turns to anxiety and our anxiety to disappointment. “Where is He?” we wonder as things spiral out of control and we debate in our minds if Jesus really cares. If that is your predicament today, let this assure you, He does!

He Cares About Your Emptiness

It had now been four days since Lazarus had died, Mary and Martha sat in an empty house with empty hearts, suddenly they heard a bustle of voices – Jesus was here! You may have heard the saying “Better late than never,” but in this case I am sure they felt the opposite way.  Martha expressed this when she said “Lord,” … “if you had been here, my brother would not have died…” In return, Jesus did not rebuke or chide, instead, He reassures her saying “I am the resurrection and the life.” He urges her to believe in Him, and encourages her with words that fill her heart with hope. Perhaps you have not physically lost a loved one, but the pandemic has brought you loss and emptiness in some way. The God who assured Martha of his life-giving presence is the same God who is with us, and He cares about you.

He cares about your emotions

At the tomb of Lazarus, the shortest most emotional verse was penned, “Jesus wept” (John 11: 35).  Although Jesus knew that in a few minutes He would raise Lazarus from the dead, He still did not fail to feel the emotions of those around Him. The pain of human suffering pierced His very soul and He wept. He wept for the fall of man, He wept for the pain of loss, He wept for the cruelty of death – He wept because he cared about mankind. God is not angry with your reaction to loss. He does not want us to be unreal about our emotions, He just wants to be a part of it.

He cares about your eternity

The intent behind Jesus working this miracle of resurrection is expressed in Luke 11: 4 “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus could have performed a simple miracle earlier and healed Lazarus, but by resurrecting him (which is a much greater fete) He proved Himself as the ‘Author of Life.’ The Apostle Paul at the very end of his life- race spoke about this, he said “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:20). Paul’s hope in a higher purpose that transcends this earthly life is our hope for eternity as well. Perhaps your personal loss has left you perplexed and bewildered by the ways of God. The answers you seek may never be revealed in this side of eternity, but thank God that eternity has another side as well.

As we reel from the onslaught of this pandemic, and as we experience and witness loss in many shapes and forms, let us rest our faith in the unchanging nature of God. Let us hold firm to the knowledge that the God of all comfort is with us, and that He cares about us. He cares about our emptiness enough to fill it with His presence, He cares about our emotions enough to feel our pain, and He carefully prepares our soul above all else for eternity. Comforted now, may we be the hands, heart and voice of God, so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received.

-Rebekah Vijayan