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I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye waste away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.Psalm 6:6–8

It has been said the Psalms are a “mirror of the soul." The prayer and words here in Psalm 6 especially bear this point out. We've all prayed these words even if not word for word. At some point, maybe more than we'd care to admit or have ever wanted or desired, our weeping over sin, over death, over the brokenness of this life have flooded our lives.

Thankfully, the psalmist reminds us that the Lord has heard the sound of our weeping. Our tears are not empty or in vain! The Lord has done something about them! Outside Jesus' empty tomb on that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene wept bitterly. The horror of Friday was still fresh; the grief, the pain, the sorrow were still raw. And without Easter, without the resurrection, Mary's tears would be forever empty; her grief, pain and despair never ending. But the Lord heard her weeping. He answered her cry. He answered her prayer.

As her tears flowed, perhaps uncontrollably, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, called Mary by name and revealed to her the great miracle of Easter; death could not hold Him in the grave! He is risen! Sin and death did their best to Jesus, but they could not and did not win! He is risen and holds the victory over then now and forever!

The Lord indeed heard Mary's weeping! He hears your weeping. He knows your pain, your grief and your suffering. Christ's death and resurrection for you prove it. His whole life is the answer to your prayers, your cry for help. His coming, His perfect obedience, His sacrificial death, His glorious resurrection and His ascension to the right hand of the Father is the Lord’s answer to your weeping and mine.

As we await the final victory and the day of the resurrection, we still grieve the death of our loved ones and feel the deep pain that accompanies such loss. We still shed tears. But one day, God will wipe every tear from our eyes forever! (Isaiah 25:8) For on that day, there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying and no more pain! (Revelation 21:4) Until then, our tears are not in vain, they are not empty. They are filled with hope in Christ's victory.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Happy and Blessed Easter!
Pastor Nettleton

Rev. Shawn Nettleton is Senior Pastor at Saint John’s Lutheran Church. You can reach him in the church office, by email at nettleton@StJohnsFC.org or at 970-305-2420.