The shortest sentence in the bible comes from verse John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”

It was in response to standing at the tomb of his dear friend upon arriving at Bethany, the home of Martha & Mary.

Lazarus had already been laid to rest for four days when Jesus proclaimed "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Nothing else is ever written about Lazarus. There are no accounts of any good deeds he may have done; we don’t even know if he went on to live a Christian life. No notes about any farewell party or blessing for a safe journey.  One would hope he was eternally grateful and was mindful of the gift bestowed upon him – to be given a second chance in a world already wrought with violence and oppression. Perhaps it was his task to encourage belief among so much sorrow, to be living proof of the walking miracle he had become.

I’ve always wondered about how Lazarus felt about all that and if he felt the tremendous pressure, of the expectation to be perfect, as he is the only man ever brought back from the dead. Is it any wonder he disappeared and was never heard from again? There is also no record of when he died, and how old he was. Why didn’t he share any of his experiences with any of us? Did he marry? Have children? Did he become the model of the priest hood – to be chaste and unobtrusive, merely touching the lives of others and to teach them of the one who loves all?

Perhaps it is because we all have our own experiences unique to us alone. No one can really walk in our shoes.

The shortest sentence in the bible is indeed, “Jesus wept” but perhaps the most powerful. He wept for his friend, Lazarus, but he also cried for his friends Martha and Mary. To be able to do fix their pain, to bring back the one they loved so deeply as a testament to the power of God, is perhaps the greatest do over in the history of the world.

Although Jesus would bring back to life the 12-year old daughter of a leading citizen of Capharnaum (Matthew 9:24) and a widow’s son (Luke 7:12-16), Lazarus had been entombed and thought dead forever. The children were thought merely to be sleeping. Is this a metaphor to say changes can be made in our lives while we are young, or the fact that it is never too late, no matter how old we are?

Perhaps he wept because he knew he would never see his dear friend again. He was the true parent of a child so dearly loved, knowing he would have to release him upon the world, watch him fall and try to stand again, not being able to help him.

May we cherish all that we are and what we can be. Perhaps that is God’s greatest gift to us, besides Jesus himself, shown through the new eyes of Lazarus. Every day is a new day. Rise up and go out into the world, knowing you are not the first to do so, and God willing, will get to do it again tomorrow.