Real Tears

Real Tears

Luke 19: 41-44 “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.”

The journey into Jerusalem has been made up of false honour, imperfect praise, fearful offence and now real tears.

Jesus bursts into tears. He prophetically sees what happened in AD70 when the siege and fall of Jerusalem took place. The Romans’ killed a million Jews who took refuge in the city. They then burnt it to the ground. Why did God permit this? Jesus tells us it was because they did not recognise the visitation of God, namely, Jesus.

There will be tears today at the cenotaphs. There will be weeping as many remember loved ones.

But Jesus is weeping for what is to come.

His tears are at the centre of Christianity.

This is not weakness.

This is a pronouncement of judgment but through tears.

Tears for others.

Acts 20:19 “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.”

I remember sitting with a leader on a journey who was passing on his leadership ability to me.  

He told me of his many fights with people and how he had won the arguments. I could see how people wanted to be like him for his rhetorical skills, his dogged determination to deal with any slight confrontation and his strength of character for any situation.

But I wondered if he ever wept.

What broke his heart?

I need to learn to ask that question of leaders that inspire me: “What makes you cry?”

I believe good leaders weep.

The Apostle Paul wept night and day for people.

In doing his Father’s will Jesus offered up loud cries and tears (Heb 5)

So how do we learn tears?

By serving with great humility:-

A gentleness towards others.

A desire for the best in others.

A willingness to wash the feet of others.

A higher perspective and a sobering reality of what lays ahead for others.

A commitment to carry the cross for others.

A satisfaction to lose the fight in order to win the war.

There is no true leadership without tears.