He Wept Twice

Borrowed from http://27.media.tumblr.com/

Twice Jesus was mournful.

Twice his emotions were visible.

Jesus was close to Mary, Martha and Lazarus, two sisters and a brother. In the early part of John 11, Lazarus dies. Jesus goes to the sisters to comfort them. He tells Martha He will raise Lazarus.

And then it hits Him. He already is experiencing Martha's sorrow. He saw Mary crying out. He saw others mourning and lamenting. "He was deeply moved". All this sorry agitated him and make him restless.

He wept.

Silently, He stood with tears flowing down His cheeks.

He hurts when His disciples hurt. He understood their pain. He, too, had possibly lost his father and felt their pain, even when He knew He would make things better very soon.

Jesus sees your pain. He knows those emotions. And today, as your heart and soul may be aching, He sobs. He will help you soon, but now He weeps with you.

A few days later, on the other side of the Mount of Olives, Jesus was riding a donkey. He was entering Jerusalem as a victorious king. People began cutting palm branches and waved them (palm branches to a Jew is like the 'Stars and Stripes' to an American). They placed these political symbols in front of His donkey to walk on. They started chanting an anti-Roman political statement, "Hosanna". The word means "God save us," from Psalms 118:25. These people with their 'flags waving' and demands for him to 'save them' was an appeal to Jesus to remove the Romans. Their statements were near treasonous. Luke's account recalls the Pharisees urging Jesus to make the crowd hush.

He rode a little further. He saw Jerusalem, the city.

He wept, again.

But this time He did not sob streams of tears. This time he cried out load. He mourned. He lamented.

Why?

The people had missed their chance. They were chasing a political idea that would lead to their destruction in 37 years. They were not chasing "what makes for peace," Luke 19:42. They chased politics instead of a spiritual leader.

Jesus hurts for people who miss His point. He cried when people try to gain  peace through sexual immorality, education, money, power, prestige, bragging, or envy. The Devil's ways do not bring peace. Sin in your life makes Him cry for you.

NO THING, NO IDEOLOGY, GIVES PEACE.

Jesus' way gives peace.

• "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace." John 16:33
• "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
• "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6
• "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace..." Romans 14:19
• "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,..." 1 Corinthians 14:33 
• "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..." Galatians 5:22
• "...endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3
• "...and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
• "... having made peace through the blood of His cross." Colossians 1:20
• "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,..." Colossians 3:15
• "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way." 2 Thessalonians3:16
• "Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:18

If you are not at peace, your must be following the wrong leader. STOP MAKING JESUS CRY!