In “Come, Follow Me” this week we read about the story of a man named Lazarus, who was the Savior’s friend.
When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4). He knew that He could raise Lazarus from the dead, giving people another witness that He, Jesus, was the Messiah.
The Savior waited two more days before heading to His friend’s house. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days! Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, both said the same thing: If You’d been here sooner, he wouldn’t have died.
Now, Jesus knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew that this very sad story was just a few minutes away from a miraculous happy ending. As Mary and Martha and their friends wept, Jesus could have said, “Don’t cry. It’s going to be OK. You’ll see.”
But He didn’t. What did He do?
“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
The Savior did what disciples are supposed to do: “mourn with those that mourn” (Mosiah 18:9; see also Romans 12:15). Centuries later, Jesus Himself would tell Joseph Smith and the Saints, “Thou shalt live together with love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:45).
Of course, that doesn’t mean you HAVE to cry when someone dies. We all have different ways of mourning. But it means that being sympathetic is good. Sensitivity—whether you’re a man or a woman—is good. We follow the Savior’s example when we show our love in appropriate ways and let people know that we care.
Thoughtfulness Matters
Note
Read the full “Come, Follow Me” lesson about Luke 12–17 and John 11 here.