A friend of mine is a professor of English literature. He once told me that the difference between an author and a poet was the number of words each uses. Authors paint a vivid picture using hundreds or thousands of words. Poets paint the same picture using two. This Sunday's gospel finds St. John using just two words to convey powerful truths.
When Jesus tells Martha, "I AM the resurrection and the life," he uses a forbidden phrase in the Hebrew language. A thousand years before, when God spoke out of the burning bush, Moses had asked, "When the people ask who sent me, what shall I tell them?" God answered, "Tell them that I AM."
Therefore, the people had always considered that two-word phrase "I am" to be the name of God, off-limits to everyone else. When Jesus tells Martha, "I am the resurrection," he reminds her that he is the Son of the Father, the power of God come to earth.
But moments later, Jesus sees the tomb where Lazarus, his childhood friend, was buried. Again John uses just two words — in fact, this is the shortest verse in the entire Bible. "Jesus wept." Despite all his power, despite his divine being, despite knowing everything that was about to happen, Jesus experienced the sadness and grief that all humans feel. "Jesus wept" captures all of Jesus' simple humanity in just two words.
He is the great I AM.
He is our friend.
He has the strength of the Creator.
He has feelings just like yours.