“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

The children’s ministries director asked the boys and girls to quote any verse from the Bible. Some of the children recited verses that they had learned in children’s church, Sunday school, and JOY club. Marty was typically the clown of the class, and when it was his turn to recite a verse, he jumped up and hollered, “Jesus wept, John 11:35,” and shot back to his seat. Several of the boys and girls laughed at Marty. Luke and Martha Pickens had worked with this age group for years. Mr. Luke was ready for him. Without embarrassing him or calling attention to his inappropriate behavior, this loving teacher seized this golden opportunity. Almost whispering, he instantly gained the attention of the boys and girls. “All right, boys and girls, listen,” he quietly spoke. “We ought to thank Marty for this wonderful verse. It is one of the most amazing verses in all of the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus not only loved Lazarus, He loved the people that were all around that day. Even though it is a very short verse, it is a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. He is very, very special indeed, boys and girls. He was sad that so many people didn’t know Him, and He cried because He loved Lazarus very much,” Mr. Luke said. In that moment he turned the class around, and in spite of Marty’s misbehavior, it was a blessed reminder of how much the Lord Jesus cares about us.

For today: Aren’t you glad that you belong to the Lord Jesus? Don’t you wish everybody did?