The simple combination of these three words is the shortest sentence in the Bible but also the most powerful. Through it and with the eyes of faith, we see the depths of God's pure heart, which beats through us and for us. It reveals the mercy of our Savior, who understands the depths of our sorrow and knows what loss is. It opens the eyes of our hearts to see the comforting presence of God's Holy Spirit, who gives life to our lifeless existence.
The Only Begotten Son of God came into the world, suffered, and felt the pain of loss. He walked the path of suffering and wept like us, but His tears were not a sign of despair at all.
They expressed His righteous wrath against death and unbelief. The evangelist says: "Jesus he was greatly disturbed in spirit," which in the original means "to be angry." He faced human unbelief and merciless death, but he knew what was necessary and what he had to do to defeat this archenemy.
They were also a sign of love. When people saw Jesus weeping for his friend Lazarus, they said to each other: "See how he loved him!" (John 11:36)
Here is the whole message of the Gospel. God loved our mourning world so much that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him will not cry forever but will receive eternal joy.
Even today, God is with us amid the pain of losing our homeland, Artsakh, and the indescribable sorrow from the loss of our brothers and sisters. He is weeping with us at this moment and encouraging us, saying: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
Friends, our tears are also tears of love because, from the bottom of our hearts, we love our homeland, our native world of Artsakh. However, let them not be tears of despair but of righteous indignation. Let us walk with our Lord Jesus Christ uncomplainingly and courageously on the way of the cross to the height of Calvary, with His righteous anger drive away fear and skepticism from our hearts and proclaim with the power of His Holy Resurrection, saying: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55).
Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan
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