Jesus wept.

"And Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well....". Simple, skipable detail in the bible book of John chapter 4, but quiet, comforting words. Jesus was tired. The Son of God, present at creation, bleeding on the cross, destroying death and evil, busting out of the tomb....got tired. Jesus gets us. I want that today. I want that right now.

I am grateful that God's words tell us of the God power of Jesus' life and also of the human realness of Jesus' life. Both wash over us with saving power.

I am lavished by the intimacy of knowing Lea, my best friend, my wife. I love hearing one of my sons call me daddy, or Patch as one calls me. I enjoy walking into ChicFila and hearing Jim say from behind the register, "Morning Damon". We're ChicFila friends. Though there is plenty of me that wants to run and hide, there is more of real me that longs to be known. Known in the intimacy of Story Cottage (our home). Known in the ordering of a chicken biscuit. Known by my intimate lover, Jesus.

I wish my words could convey what it is that my heart wants to scribe this morning. Jesus was friends with people. In the most simple, relaxed, intimate, normal, extravagant, godly sense....Jesus was friends with people. In the bible book of John chapter 11, there is a story of friendship. It is certainly a story of demonstrative, resurrection power, but in its most intimate roots, it is a story of friendship.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus are brother and sisters. Family. And Jesus is a family friend. The words say that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Brother is very, very sick and so sisters send word to their friend Jesus..."Lord, the one you love is sick". Sisters love their brother. And apparently from their words they know that Jesus loves their brother too. Jesus tells his posse, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep (died), but I am going there to wake him up". Not some dude has died. Not another miracle is needed. Our friend, My friend.

While Jesus is in transit, seemingly not in a terrible hurry (apparently that "He really can heal" thing), Lazarus goes from being sick to being dead. Not just a story for Martha and Mary. They are living it. Their brother is dead. Martha goes to her friend first, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died". Mary goes out to Jesus after He calls for her and says, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died". Real life wonderings with their friend. When Mary goes out to meet Jesus, those gathered in mourning went with her. They are all there together now. And Jesus sees Mary weeping. He sees those who had come along with her weeping. And it says that He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. He's already told His crew that He was going to wake Lazarus up. He's already declared that this sickness would not end in death. He's about to heal Lazarus, but rather than insisting that these dear sisters and their mourning community snap out of it into their victory dance.....He grieves with them. He's about to raise Lazarus from the dead and He is grieving with them. He's Lazarus' healer, but right now, He's Mary and Martha's friend.

Jesus asks where they have laid Lazarus. The resurrection is about to happen....big crescendo! No. Not yet.

Jesus wept.

The crescendo of Jesus' healing was His tears.

He was their friend. And yours.

There's more.