4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4 – 9, New International Version)
41 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 recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41 – 44, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Context:
Traditions such as Passion Week ensure that important historical events are not forgotten. In the Old Testament we observe that certain objects were used to preserve memories (see the passage in Deuteronomy above). Over the next five days, we will borrow from that tradition to preserve some key memories of Jesus demonstrating love during Passion Week. Each day we will make a symbolic object our focus. Today, we focus on tears.
Reflection:
Palm branches are traditionally the symbolic object for Palm Sunday, but tears are also a significant part of the story. In the Luke account, Jesus wept because He cared about the spiritual condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They were lost because they did not recognize Jesus as the source of their peace. Jesus’ tears showed how much He cared for them.
The story is told of a young married couple. Often, when they had a heated argument, the same person would always be left in tears. The one who never cried confided in an elderly friend that it would be good if the crying partner would stop crying. The response from the elderly friend was unexpected. The elderly friend said, “be careful what you wish for because it is possible that when the crying has ended, so too has the caring.”
Jesus’ tears are a reminder to us of the love of God! He cared enough to cry.
Response:
How much do we care about the spiritual condition of those around us? How can we avoid becoming numb to the spiritual condition of those who do not recognize Jesus as saviour. I would love to hear your thoughts.
April 14, 2025 at 7:20 am
One way to not become immune is to pray for their spiritual condition. In prayer you see with the eyes of Christ and His compassion extends through you to others. Maybe that’s why we are instructed to pray for our enemies. We see them through the lens Christ see us. Which is love, compassion and patience.
April 14, 2025 at 8:13 am
I care so much about my unsaved loved ones, relatives and friends. I never get tired praying for them. If I get a chance to share Jesus’ salvation to them, I do it randomly and sometimes it just happened without much effort. It’s like God is orchestrating everything. For example while waiting at the gym for my workout class to start, while chatting with some friends, I can feel God is making a way for me to share God’s word to them. It’s hard to explain it in Japanese but to some extent I can share Jesus to Japanese friends/ acquaintances. Sometimes even during coffee or tea time at my home or when I eat lunch with friends, somehow, the topic becomes about God’s gift of salvation, or about me being a Christian. I know some were curious to know about my relationship with God especially when they tend to ask many questions. I answer their question by sharing my experiences and reflecting on God’s faithfulness and love for me. Grateful for God’s amazing way of helping me share the gospel to others even in my own little way.
As for my unsaved relatives, loving them and showing them how grateful I am for their presence in my life, as well as for all the blessings and provisions each day is one way for me to show that I do care for their salvation and spiritual condition. I never lose hope, knowing that God has perfect plans for each and everyone. This hope can also be seen in me thru my JOY despite all the struggles and hardships. Others were encouraged by my action and words, and that’s the way I minister to those who don’t know the Lord and maybe searching for spiritual growth