Comfort One Another

“Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off; and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.” (John 11:18-19)

I think the Holy Spirit had John to write in these details to let us know that not everyone in Jerusalem was an evil person as were the Jews who attempted to stone Jesus. It was a distance of just under two miles from Jerusalem to Bethany. It would have been an easy walk. We do not know how many people came to comfort the two sisters. We just know that the Bible says there were many who came. The Bible says we are to, “…weep with them that weep.” (Romans 12:15)

I officiated in a funeral of a young man where no one came to comfort the young man’s two or three family members who were there. I not only preached, I was also a pall bearer with three employees of the funeral home. How very sad that no one came to weep with those who wept.

A pastor told his church in Louisville, Kentucky, “When someone in our church has lost a loved one, we will not let them grieve alone. Our church is going to the funeral to give them comfort and to let them know that we love them.  We can have love and compassion even if we have nothing else.”