“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 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. 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. 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 recognize the time of the God’s coming to you.’” –Luke 19:41-44
Easter tears. I cried a few yesterday, somewhat like the ones Jesus must have cried over his people on his approach to Jerusalem.
There are still so many who’ve yet to recognize the time of God’s coming to them. It seems to me that the time is now. There’s no time like the present time to take hold of truth and the Truth-Giver. Or so it seems.
Maybe it’s my heart that is clouded by too much expectation—my great desire for friends, family members, and strangers alike to finally wake up to the realities of Jesus and to get down to the business of their salvation. What could be keeping them from making this life-altering decision? What possible rationalization could be offered that would make their delay a reasonable choice?
I don’t see it. I don’t get it. Apparently they don’t as well.
A frustrating wait. A grief painfully carried. Thus, my Easter tears.
If only they knew what would bring them peace.
They may not know, not yet. But I know. The answer to my Easter tears is my Easter Jesus. He is the Peace-Bringer – the Sword who slices through joint and marrow and pierces the soul with undeniable strength and clarified precision. Only Jesus is able to cut through the veil that shrouds the ignorant heart, exposing rotten flesh and offering his fresh grace in exchange.
Only Jesus. He is what they (the lost) need to know.
What about me? What about you? What do we need to know moving forward? What will bring us peace while we linger with our Easter tears?
Only Jesus. He, too, is what we need to know. Every day. Intentional investments in the curriculum named Jesus. Allowing the Teacher to pour into our souls so that we might, in turn, pour out to others.
To walk where he walks. To weep as he weeps. To pray as he prays. To speak as he speaks.
Only Jesus. This is our responsibility. It doesn’t get more responsible than this, friends. When we take on the mantle of Christianity—when we dare to call ourselves by Christ’s name—then we become responsible for something far greater than ourselves. We become care-takers of the kingdom, extraordinary shareholders of a lavish grace. A people who willingly release Easter tears for those who’ve yet to realize what would bring them peace.
When we no longer weep for the lost, then perhaps our souls need a divine sword-piercing as well. It’s not about us, Christians. We know the way home. It’s about them—those who wander aimlessly without a divine compass and who foolishly reason their navigational skills as adequate.
If only they knew what would bring them peace.
If only.
May God quicken our hearts with a response and moisten our eyes with heaven’s fuel to get the job done.
Peace for the journey,
How I can relate to this as I also have so many loved ones on my heart. I don’t get it either but thankfully the Holy Spirit is the one who can do this work that I can’t. Praying for you today, friend.
Amen, Elaine — and beautifully said. I want to allow Jesus to pour into my soul so that I might, in turn, pour out to others, too.
Let’s be encouraged by this passage: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6 NIV84)
Beautifully written. This morning on facebook I wrote the words to the chorus of It Is No Secret. The message is so simple, but still people do not get it.
until next time…nel
This is a refrain I recognize. So many of my beloveds stand afar & aloof from anything that is remotely associated with the Creator. My heart yearns for them to receive His touch; to know His love. Time. Prayer. And more tears … of that I am certain.
Such a beautiful post, Elaine.
This was soo heartfelt and true and I imagine many of us can relate so well as we wait, and pray, and yes shed tears for those loved who just don’t get it. It worries me the longer and the longer they wait, the harder and harder their hearts become. They always seem to think there is time. And yet we know it just isn’t the case. And so we must be diligent and fervent in our prayers and stand firm in our testimonies and work. My prayer is the same as yours. Soften their hearts Lord Jesus and draw them with your mighty Holy Spirit.
Amen, if only they knew, we must share with them.
This post echoes what has been in my heart of late. My heart is broken over loved ones who know Jesus, but are embracing the doctrine that there is more than one way to heaven and a ‘loving’ God wouldn’t ‘send’ people to hell. Or those who are picking and choosing parts of the Bible to believe, while discarding those parts they do not agree with. We truly live in a 2 Timothy 4 day…when sound doctrine will not be tolerated and people heap up teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear. It breaks my heart because I know there are consequences to that kind of behavior and I don’t want those I love to have to endure them. But, alas, only they can choose differently. My job is to pray for them. Thank you, my friend for this beautiful post.
wifeforthejourney:
While it is a blessing to be in the company of churchmembers long familiar with Easter, with Adam and Eve, with Noah and the ark, with Christmas, there is an ever present danger we face in losing the awe and wonder of our faith. God save us from “another Easter” and move us to tears over the resurrection morning. Your post is a call for us to consider, what is it that moves us to tears? Do we have a burden for the lost? The hurting? The outcast? And do we feel a since of urgency in living and sharing the truth of our Christian faith?
Finding what passions move us to tears, and IF anything moves our hearts in these days of “tolerance,” of “open-mindedness.” We read about Jesus’ tears, but when was the last time we wept over the lives of those that either don’t know Jesus at all OR those that have spent so much time in and around the church that Easter is just another Sunday? Thanks for the good word Elaine!
~Billy
The reminder is for me too Elaine… the tears and the heart we share for others to know The One we know. May it never fade or dim. Life is hurrying by and the lost are still lost. This is a burden we are meant to share, to pray and to trust, for the ones who don’t yet understand.
I’ve missed you, so glad to be here and catch up!
Only Jesus! I feel this too. I know this too. But tonight as I could not sleep and felt so uptight from the trials of the day, I guess I was not remembering it. I had too many things pressing on my mind. Too many things I felt I needed to be doing…and am not. But the truly important thing…only Jesus… you have reminded me of! Maybe it was the nudge of the Lord that made me get out of the weariness of the bed where sleep would not come and sit down at the computer and read your latest blog post. I truly needed this reminder Elaine.
Yes, Elaine. I have been thinking on this theme so much lately, and so thankful that I know Christ…there is something about Easter that has always been so moving for me, a time for reflection and quiet and pondering how much God loves us. My dear friend is dealing with both parents dying without knowing Jesus and my heart breaks for her. They know better….they were both raised in church, attended church with us and somehow still left that path and continued to live for themselves and make terrible choices. All we can do is pray and do our best to be a light shining in the darkness. You are that light to many…..Lori