Jesus Wept: God Has Empathy, Too

Jesus Wept: God Has Empathy, Too

From Little Saints, Big Lessons: Children's Sermons from St. Peter's Episcopal Church by St. Peter's Episcopal Church

March 25, 2026 · 5 min

About this episode

Mother Paige discusses the significance of Jesus weeping and the importance of empathy in understanding emotions.

Mother Paige addresses children after a long Gospel reading, focusing on the short verse “Jesus began to weep” (“Jesus wept”). She explains that in the original Greek it indicates Jesus burst into tears—an intense, “ugly cry,” not a mild reaction. In John’s Gospel, she notes, Jesus is fully human and fully God, showing that God feels what humans feel as Emmanuel, “God with us.” She encourages children not to stuff or numb their emotions but to feel sadness and anger as Jesus did. She defines empathy as being in someone else’s shoes and emphasizes that empathy is not only human but a divine characteristic. She connects this to the upcoming song “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” and invites continued singing in the parish hall. 00:00 Welcome And Setup 00:31 The Tiny Verse01:17 Jesus Wept Explained 02:06 God Feels With Us 02:47 Feel Your Feelings 03:24 What Empathy Means 03:49 Empathy Is Divine 04:23 Song Invitation

People in this episode

Host: Paige

Topics covered

  • empathy
  • Jesus wept
  • feelings
  • God's emotions
  • children's sermons

Keywords

  • God with us
  • ugly cry
  • feel your feelings
  • divine empathy

Mentioned in this episode

Products: I Want Jesus to Walk with Me

Books & works: Gospel, I Want Jesus to Walk with Me

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