There are several times in the Bible where it says Jesus cried. Here are three of them.
"Jesus wept." John 11:35
In this passage, we see that Jesus cried for His friend that had passed away.
He wept for Lazarus and for those who loved him. Jesus felt the pain of those who were suffering and mourning Lazarus' death.
It's a small picture of the love and compassion Jesus feels for people. It's a window that lets us see how God feels when we are hurt and grieving.
I would encourage you, if you haven't done so, to make a list of people you pray for. And may that list become stained with your tears.
Ask God to fill your heart with compassion for those you minister to. May you hurt when they hurt. May you cry when they cry. May your heart break when their heart breaks.
But as He came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you." Luke 19:41-44
Jesus wept over people who were lost. He wept because He is not willing that any should perish. When was the last time you cried for a friend who doesn't know Jesus.? When was the last time you cried over the families in your community that are lost? When was the last time you had to pause and stop teaching for a minute, because you were feeling overwhelmed by the burden you carry for the kids? May our heart break and our tears flow for the same things Jesus cried over....PEOPLE.
God has placed you in the city or community you are in for a reason. He wants to use you to reach them. May your heart long for what He longs for. May your tears flow for what He cried for.
Another passage of scripture we see Jesus crying in is found in Hebrews 5:7
"In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Hebrews 5:7
Jesus was deeply moved in prayer. He uttered loud cries and shed tears as He talked with His Father. The word used for cry here is not a cry that one chooses to produce, but rather a cry that cannot be held in. It's a cry from someone who is feeling an overwhelming tension.
When was the last time you felt an overwhelming burden for the children and families in your community that do not know Jesus?
When was the last time when you simply couldn't hold it in and the tears came forth?
When was the last time you drove the streets of your city and prayed for the families that do not know Jesus and tears fell from your face?
When was the last time you prayed for the children in your small group or class and the tears fell from your eyes?
When was the last time you prayed for the baby you were holding in the nursery and your eyes watered up as you thought and prayed for the future of that child?
When was the last time you wept over a father who doesn't attend church with His family and his wife and kids long for Him to know Jesus?
When was the last time you cried in the hospital as you visited a child who was in ICU?
When was the last time you cried for the kids who responded to an invitation and said they wanted to know Jesus as their Savior?
When was the last time you cried for a friend who has drifted away from the faith?
Ask God to break your heart with what breaks Jesus' heart.
Ask God to bring tears to your eyes as you share the Gospel with families.
Ask God to keep your heart soft and tender to the many needs and trials families in your community are facing.
It's easy over time to let your heart grow calloused. The tears stop falling and you find yourself just going through the motions. If that's where you find yourself, ask God to renew your compassion for the needs of the kids and families of your community.
I am not talking about mustering up some fake tears, but rather tears that come from a heart that can't contain them.
When was the last time you cried?
