Tears of Jesus

Lately, I have been asking many questions.  One of them I couldn't get off my mind is

                why did Jesus cry?

Why was it important enough to take up space in the Holy Bible in John 11?  It's just two little words placed in there;  surely it's not that important. 

But like a sweet pestering child gently tugging on the hem of my dress, the Holy Spirit draws me to look deeper still.   

"Keep digging" He whispers in the ears of my soul. 

And so I do.

There it was again!  In Luke 19, plain as the nose on your face.  It's when Jesus was making His last trip into Jerusalem, shortly before His crucifixion.  The bible says in verse 19 that "Jesus wept over the city."

So I looked up the Greek translation of the word "wept"  and discovered there are two different words used in the New Testament, and to my surprise, they have very different meanings!

In John 11, the word that was used for 'wept' is "dakruo" which translates "shed a tear." 

However, the translation of Luke 19 that was used to describe the weeping of Jesus is "klaio."  It means to "wail and weep with deep and heavy emotion!"

How do ya like that?

So Jesus 'shed a tear' out of compassion for Mary and Martha because they were so sad about loosing their brother, even though they knew they would see him again some day (see what Martha says about that in verse 24). 

He was showing compassion for their loss, knowing that Lazarus would live for eternity in God's presence.

But - catch it - Jesus mournfully cried with great emotion' and 'lamented' over the city of Jerusalem who had denied Him as the Christ.


And so there it is.   

Our example of comfort during grief.
Our roadmap to warriorship. 
Our battle plan to servanthood. 
We must spend our time witnessing with hearts broken for the lost.

Pray without ceasing -  testify while in tune with The Father's heart. 

It's not popular in a church full of 'tolerance' to weep over the souls of the lost.  Nope.  But I want to be like Jesus.  And He sobbed and cried loudly over the lost souls of Jerusalem. 

Honestly, it would be so much easier for me to just think that somehow God will work it all out without my involvement, right?  And then I remember Paul the Apostle, wishing he could be extinguished from being alive if it would just rescue one more soul?  Heavens, I have never prayed that!  

It's a good thing that I am not in charge of my own destiny with Jesus because if I was, I would just choose the other half of God! 

You know, the good half, the half that celebrates heaven, the power, the joy, the peace, and the praising part! 

The part with laughter and singing with hands high in the air with praise to The Father!

Would you forgive me if I told you I had to fall upon my knees and ask Him for forgiveness for not having a broken heart for the lost?  Are you shocked that I confess to you that it has been too long since I was gripped by the fear of eternal fire for the ones who still reject Him and wail for their fate?  

I ask Him "will you please show me how to have a broken heart for the lost? 

For those I know AND for those I don't know. 

For those I love and for those I don't know from Adam.  


And he says,

If you want to serve a God of blessing, you must also learn to serve a God with a broken heart. 

And if you are to be changed to the image of My Son, you will have to know the difference between klaio and dakruo. 

"And now you do, child.  And now you do."

So as I stumble through this journey, I am learning.  Learning to pray and be like Jesus.  So I will remember the lesson.  For it's not the words we know that show our wisdom, but how and when we choose to use them. 

"I am the way, the truth

and the life.  No man

cometh unto the Father but by me." 

 

John 14:6

Strength for your journey,