HoHum:
July 4, tomorrow, we celebrate our nation’s independence. 246 years ago the Declaration of Independence was adopted where the founders of our country broke away from the rule of the British crown. We celebrate this day with fireworks, with parades, with backyard barbecues. It is a day of celebration where we sing, smile and laugh. Do not associate that day with tears.
Love the song America the Beautiful, features the beauty of America, Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.
Might forget this verse, “O beautiful for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years, thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears! America, America, God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty is law. Undimmed by human tears really! I remember 9/11 when New York shed many tears. I remember the pandemic when a person was reasonably healthy one day and gone the next, hospitals full in the city. I remember the riots over racial issues when there was untold destruction and violence in many downtowns. In recent days we remember the shootings where some of them were done under many city skylines.
WBTU:
We are told of 3 times when Jesus wept or shed tears. First, at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35- might talk about in another lesson); lastly, even though the gospel writers do not use this wording, we find the book of Hebrews describing Jesus’ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane- “He (Jesus) offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Hebrews 5:7, NIV. Before this last one, we find another instance of Jesus’s weeping. “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it” Luke 19:41, NIV. Read to vs. 44
Thesis: Let’s talk about the tears in Luke 19:41
For instances:
Tears of sorrow for sins
The city of Jerusalem was magnificent in the days of Jesus. People were so blinded by its radiance as it reflected the Palestinian sun that they had to turn their eyes away, as Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us. When Our Lord, preparing to enter Jerusalem, stopped at Mount Olivet’s heights to look toward the majestic city, there was no awe or admiration in His gaze. Instead, he stood silent, his lips quivered, his eyes filled with tears. Jesus just had his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. What would bring tears to his eyes right after that event as he viewed the city? Jesus might have seen the temple from there, a glorious structure, on which architects and laborers toiled for 50 years and were still not finished. Yet Jesus was saddened by the mockery, shocking insincerity, cold formality, to be found in his Father’s house. Jesus also could see the money changers whom he would soon throw out as they sold animals and exchanged money, piling up profits in the name of religion. Saw the multitudes who bought the best animals and thought that by such offerings they could be cleansed from their sins even though their hearts were far from God. He might have heard the chanting of the Pharisees, who might be saying things like this, “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers, tax collectors. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’” Luke 18:11-12. The hypocrisy and arrogance made Jesus cry. If Jesus were in the flesh today, I am sure that Jesus would shed tears over America’s spiritual condition. We have many churches in our land but how many strive to follow the Great Commandment. If they loved the Lord with their all beings thing would change. The preaching of the gospel is pushed into the background. Ask many American citizens about salvation and they might say that they do not need to be saved. Might say that they are so good, so righteous, that God will welcome them with open arms when they need to realize that without the Lord Jesus Christ there is no salvation. Cannot be saved because so good. But are they really that good? No one is good, no not one. Many are filled with greed, lust, hatred, have many secret and disguised sins (report from Southern Baptists). We are a people formed through Christian pioneers, blessed above many others because of our heritage, we are a free people. Even so, we have forgotten God, neglected our privileges, spurned our blessings, rejected our Savior. We can find Jesus Christ on Olivet, grief stricken not only for Jerusalem but for many churches in the USA that are more concerned about the things of this world than about saving souls. Many are people pleasing and more concerned about what people in this world think than about what God thinks. “How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” John 5:44. If America is to come closer to the Almighty it must start in the churches. To stop the tears of Christ we must go back to the Bible, back to our redeemer, back to the blood of his atonement, back to justification by grace through faith at baptism for good works
From Olivet the Savior could likewise see the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. He occupied the highest position in OT worship. He alone could enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. Yet that high priest, who should have been closest to God, was an unbeliever, a murderer at heart, an enemy of the Messiah. He was surrounded by many Sadducees, who openly attacked Scripture, denied the supernatural and the hope of the resurrection. These men were responsible for their country’s downfall. It was true, then, as now, that when nations are to perish in their sins, tis in the church the leprosy begins (Walter Maier). 20th century Sadducees sit securely in high places, pulpit politicians, who constantly emphasize the separation of church and state to keep God out of the public eye, are on the increase. We need to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2, NIV. We see a rise in violence among our young people and we wonder what has happened. I’ll tell us what has happened, the darkness is growing and the only solution is the light of the gospel. From Olivet Christ can see some homes. “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,” 2 Timothy 3:6, NIV.
Jesus from Olivet could see Jerusalem’s skyline where were the palaces of the governing officials, imposing structures with high towers; the castle of King Herod, the residence of Pontius Pilate, and Jesus could detect the corruption, deceit, iniquity, practiced within those walls. He wept as He contrasted the doom soon to break over the city. Such a shame that Jerusalem did not have honest, God fearing officials who did the bidding of the people. We should thank God daily for our democratic government where we will not tolerate anyone of immoral character and we will punish or at least remove from office anyone who acts improperly. We should not be blind to the fact that graft, bribery, corruption, have sometimes flourished in our government and many times this is allowed without interruption. We need to be praying for our government. Many have refused to vote and spurned opportunities to run for public office.
Jesus would have been able to see the modest homes of the teachers of the law, the scribes. These were the intellectuals of the time, too proud to accept the lowly Jesus as their Messiah. Perverted minds which use their God given talents to blaspheme the Lord. On many college campuses the students are afraid to utter any words that might glorify Jesus Christ or make positive reference to the Holy Book. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He knew the appalling price it would pay for rebelling against God. We see this in vs. 42-44- Jesus knew how the Romans would come and lay siege and devastate the city. Why? Because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming. Estimates of the slain are 1 million 100 thousand men and another 97,000 people (women and children). About 50 years after this many of the citizens of Jerusalem were led away in captivity, and so many of the citizens sold into slavery that no one would buy any more slaves. “Be not deceived, God cannot be mocked” Galatians 6:7. There is a price to be paid if we do not heed the warning here. Christ weeps for us, knowing the peace, pardon, hope and joy we have lost without Him. No heavenly home, no seeing Him face to face in eternity. Are our hearts stone that we cannot see the weeping Savior? It is too late for the masses in Jerusalem to repent and return to God but it is not too late for us. Jesus- “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37. Many are living in sin so there is no rush. “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2. May not be another Sunday- why not now, why not come to Jesus now?
Tears of love and sympathy
The Savior sees our afflictions and is moved by our sorrows. Man of sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim, hallelujah what a Savior. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4. Should have used a different word. Sympathy involves understanding from my own perspective. Empathy involves putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and understanding why they may have particular feelings. Jesus has more than pity or sympathy but empathy. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6-8. Every human experience Christ has experienced, yet was without sin. What a friends we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. Now we have more than a teary eyed Savior, we have a bleeding, dying and crucified Christ. Human tears often mean little; some people can cry at the drop of a hat, but Jesus proved his earnestness when he, the mighty and majestic God, bowed his head and accepted Calvary. We have no need to cry endlessly over the sins and sorrows of our lives. We can have the inner conviction that we can triumph over temptation, find strength in weakness and be overcomers. “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--” Revelation 2:26.
