The Bible says:
“For these things I weep.”
— Lamentations 1: 16
“Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission ... Mine eye affecteth mine heart.”
—Lamentations 3: 48-51
Someone said, “Tears are a language God understands.” Washington Irving said, “Tears are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.”
Jesus was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53: 3) He wept when His friend Lazarus died, (John 11: 35) and lamented over Jerusalem for her rejecting Him as her Messiah. (Matthew 23: 37) Jeremiah wept over the destruction of Jerusalem. It could’ve been prevented if Israel had heeded Jeremiah’s message for them to weep over their sins and repent and turn from their idols back to the only true and living God.
This world is full of sin, and as a result, full of broken people and broken things. There is much crying going on because of the real pain and heartache this brokenness brings.
But this broken world will be replaced one day by a world where nothing is broken and where tears are never shed again.
(Revelation 7: 17; 21: 4) Jeremiah said, “Mine eye affecteth mine heart.” What Jeremiah saw with his own eyes brought him to tears.
He saw the thousands that were killed with the sword and the thousands that were taken captive to Babylon. He saw the walls of Jerusalem destroyed and the Temple destroyed and burned.
Jeremiah preached repentance to Israel and had she heeded his message and sincerely returned to God with all her heart he would have wept tears of joy. But Israel did not heed his message but instead rebelled more and was judged by God and destroyed and Jeremiah wept tears of sorrow over her destruction.
Some people don’t weep over anything. They can’t be moved to tears of sorrow or joy.
Others weep easily and sometimes over the silliest things. We weep over cradles and caskets. What we laugh at and what we cry over says a lot about us. Some weep over the lost.
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
— Psalm 126: 6
There are some who are and many more who should be weeping over the sad state of the worldly church and praying for revival.
“Draw high to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
—James 4: 8-10 What are you crying about?
James H. Cagle is a Ray City resident who pastored several churches for a total of 11 years. Email him at pastorjameshcagle@ yahoo. com
