Real Men Do Cry

Here stands Jesus outside Jerusalem weeping for his people because they had become cold and callous, and religious and they had rejected Him. He wept because his people who had been so blessed were being so stubborn. Would he weep over us do you think? Would he weep for this church, this city, this nation?

3. He wept for the world – Hebrews 5:7; Luke 22:43 – Hebrews 5:7 says, During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death…’ Jesus wept for the whole world of lost and fallen humanity. As he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the tears rolled down mingled with blood, so great was His agony as He tormented over a lost and fallen world.

We don’t have to look too hard at our world today to see how far it has fallen. The injustice, the cruelty, the wars, the famines, the suffering. Our fellow human beings being crushed, and squeezed and broken. Watching the awful events in Ukraine unfold – the destruction, the anguish, the devastation - should be enough to bring anyone to their knees in prayer and with hearts that are breaking, let our tears shout out to the God of mercy and compassion.

And back to where we began. The Apostle Paul writes, “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.’ That’s the state of many people in our the world, Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, their glory is in their shame.

Do we weep for them, do we shed tears that they too might know him? Are we a church, a people, a community of believers, that loves like that?

Conclusion

Let me finish with this story.

The Salvation Army was holding a convention. Morale was at all-time low. The organization had hit rock bottom. They did not know what to do. They sent a telegram to their founding father, William Booth, asking for any advice he could give on how they could get back on their feet.

William Booth sent back a telegram with two words: "Try tears!" When they did, revival came to the Salvation Army. We can talk about revival, preach about revival, pray for revival, but revival will never come until desperation comes, and the sign of desperation will be the tears of our eyes, and the brokenness of our heart for our lost and fallen world.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit – Amen.