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Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept

Yes, but before that, and after, You groaned,
so deeply toubled, even angry, one translator says
and as the word in Greek implies: embrimaomai
(almost unpronounceable,
the word itself has so much weight).

You felt that, Lord, and You exuded that, so much
that those who saw, and felt, could tell
how much you loved Your brother Lazarus.
Anger, then. A strong reaction to a death,
but don’t we all, who love the dead, the dying
know that anger at the loss?
We even blame You, Lord, or Your Father,
or Someone who “should have been there,”
could have stopped this! Why oh why
did this have to be? And then the weeping,
Then again the anger. Why?

We must let go, though, let You handle this.
The grain of wheat must die to bear more life.
You have ordained it so. The rising from the dead
or nearly dead, is rare, we know.
And therefore anger here, and tears.
It is all right, we know: embrimaomai.

For Bernie and Pollyanna, 6/1/19

(It’s pronounced em-brim-AH-om-ahee.)






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