Go! And Weep For The Lost: A Palm Sunday Call To Action - Luke 19:41-44. Series

Go! And Weep for the Lost: A Palm Sunday Call to Action

Introduction:

Today is Palm Sunday, a day where we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It’s a day filled with joy, with crowds shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” It’s a day of excitement, as people lay down palm branches, their cloaks, and prepare for the Passover. But beneath the shouts of joy, beneath the praise and worship, there was something deeper going on—a deep, heartfelt sorrow in the heart of Jesus. As He approached the city, He wept.

And today, as we look at this moment from Scripture, I want to challenge you to Go! and weep for the lost. Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem are not just a historical event; they are a call to action for each of us today. Jesus wept because the people missed the very thing that would bring them peace—reconciliation with God through Him. As His followers, we are called to Go! and weep for the lost, to have His heart for the world, and to be His agents of peace.

Let’s explore what this looks like today as we open our Bibles to Luke 19:41-44.

1. Go! And Weep Over the Lost: Jesus’ Heart of Compassion

Luke 19:41-42 – “But as Jesus came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep. ‘How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.’” (NLT)

This passage reveals an emotional moment in Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. He sees the city ahead, and instead of joining in the celebration, He weeps. It’s one of only two instances where we are told that Jesus wept—another is found in John 11:35, at the tomb of Lazarus. But here, Jesus is weeping over the city of Jerusalem, over the people who had rejected the very peace that He brought.

Let’s dive into the context. Jesus had been preaching, teaching, and performing miracles for years. He had revealed Himself as the Messiah, the promised King, and yet the majority of the people could not see Him for who He truly was. They wanted a political warrior to overthrow Roman rule, but they missed the true purpose of His coming: to bring reconciliation between God and humanity through His death on the cross.

The word “weep” here (Greek: klaio) denotes an intense sorrow, a lament. It’s not just a few tears shed—Jesus is deeply moved, broken-hearted over the lostness of the people. This is the same compassion that moved Him when He saw the sick, the poor, the hungry (Matthew 9:36). Jesus is the compassionate King, weeping for those who are blind to the peace He offers.

Just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He calls us to have His heart for the lost. We live in a world that is broken, confused, and lost. There are many who are seeking peace in the wrong places—whether in material things, relationships, or worldly success. But true peace is found only in Jesus Christ. As His followers, we must share His heart for the lost. Are we moved with compassion? Are we broken over the spiritual blindness of those around us? Go! and weep for the lost. Let the heart of Jesus stir you to action.

As William Temple said “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.”

William Temple’s words resonate deeply with the very essence of the Church’s mission. The Church is not a club or an exclusive group reserved for the righteous or the saved; it is a living organism, commissioned to be a light to the world. Jesus Himself, when commissioning His disciples, did not say, "Go and build a sanctuary for the saved." Rather, He said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).

In other words, the Church’s purpose is outward-facing, directed towards the lost, the broken, and the spiritually blind. Our role is not just to gather for our own benefit but to be agents of transformation and reconciliation in a world in desperate need of hope and healing.

This thought mirrors the heart of the Gospel: Jesus came for the lost, the sick, the outcasts, and the sinners. The Church, as His body, must embody this same sacrificial love, reaching out beyond its walls to bring the Good News to those who have yet to hear it.

So, we must ask ourselves: Are we as a Church living out this outward-facing mission? Are we willing to go and serve those who are not yet part of the family, in the same way Jesus did? The Church exists for the lost, and that is the mandate that should drive us—out of our comfort zones and into the mission field.