Rejoicing and Weeping

Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15

Photo by Ahmed Dzayan, Unsplash.com

I was running errands in my car and found myself smiling as I recalled glowing remarks about two of my granddaughters. And just as quickly, I remembered a dear friend’s cancer diagnosis. Immediately, I thought of this Scripture. When I got home, I looked up the Greek words for rejoice and weep.

Rejoice With Those Who Weep

The Greek word for rejoice is chairó (khah’-ee-ro). It means to rejoice, be glad, be joyful. It’s a greeting, but also to be “cheer”ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off. Further word studies include to be favorably disposed and leaning toward grace. I found this interesting. According to the Lexicon, far from denying hardship, chairo often coexists with pain. Jesus commands, “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12)

Weep With Those Who Weep

The Greek word for weep is klaió (klah’-yo). It means to sob or wail out loud. It’s an uncontainable, heartfelt, audible grief. According to the Lexicon, “It ranges from private sobbing to communal wailing, from repentant tears to prophetic laments, and from worldly grief to heaven-sanctioned sorrow that is answered by divine comfort.”

We Celebrate the Highs and Lows

Essentially, their joy is our joy and we magnify it. Then too, we feel their pain, share their burden, and respond with comfort when they weep. Paul, the writer of Romans, suggests that we connect spirit to spirit. He echoes this in 1 Corinthians 12:26 “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” That’s the true love of God in His body of believers. Whether we’re laughing or crying, we’re together as one.

Source: Biblehub.com