Tears are a subject that all of us are familiar with, from infancy to old age. The record of every persons life contains tears. Round every corner of life they are there. Mention tears and we will recall our experiences of shedding them.
Tears, tears and more tears.
The Bible tells us of tears that were shed. Remember Abraham how he mourned and wept over the death of his wife Sarah. Remember Hezekiah in second Kings, check ch20 vs5. Remember Peter, remember Paul on his missionary journeys Acts ch20 vs 19. Tears , tears and more tears.
Tears are thought of as being just a part of our humanity, but I believe they are more than that. I believe they are expressions of the Soul. The shedding of tears is a unique human method of expressing emotions such as joy, happiness, sorrow, pain, despair and disappointment.
Man is the only created being who can laugh. Man is the only being who can shed tears. The tear glands in animals have only one function – to lubricate the eyeball. Their tears are not used to give expression to their soul. Someone said, ‘ True tears are not camouflage, but the picture of the soul on the canvas of emotions’. Tears are common in our world and important. In truth, this world is a valley of tears. Using a mathematical calculation of every person shedding fifty tears a year since Adam to today, means over one hundred billion tears are shed by the world every year. Think about that, the sorrowful tears of a baby, tears over the loss of a child, tears over lost loved ones in war, the man who has lost his wife, the wife who has lost her husband. Tears of the sinner as he asks for forgiveness. Tears of despair of those near death standing on the brink of the dark unknown. Tears coming from hell where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The Purpose of tears.
Are tears really good for anything? Yes. Tears make the Christian willing to leave this valley of tears, as we look to God who will wipe away all tears. Shedding tears of sorrow make us feel our dependence on God. Many a person has met God through the prism of tears. Tears teach us the much needed grace of sympathy. Tears come easy at the graveside of remembrance.
Tears to Remember
Remember Peter’s tears, he denied the Lord 3 times – the Lord looked at him and Peter wept bitterly. Those tears were a sweet savour to the Lord.
The sinners tears are precious in the Lord’s sight.
Remember our sinless Lord’s tears, as he wept over Lazarus, as he wept over Jerusalem. The strong crying and tears that fell from Jesus’s eyes in the garden of Gethsemane, crying for us.
Tears to Forget
The last mention of tears in the scriptures is found in Revelation ch21 vs4
Where it says ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away.
Happy Day.
A final thought. Jesus wept tears for you have you wept tears to Him for forgiveness of sin and the salvation of your soul?
I hope so
God bless.
– Michael Whitehouse