Why does Jesus cry?
“But as [Jesus] came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.” Luke 19:41
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Any Sunday school kid who has ever done a VBS craft using construction paper, tongue depressors and a glue stick or two has been asked, “What words can we use to describe who Jesus is?”
“Friend!” That’s what a cute little girl blurts out as she raises her hand. She does not wait. Her answer is THERE.
“Savior!” adds her older brother a second later. If you’ve had the joy of being with the kiddos as they answer, you hear “Rock,” “Councilor,” “Protector,” “Lamb of God,” and some little one will say “Friend” again—just in case we missed it the first time. There are a few zinger answers that make CE teachers beam at the job God has given them to do. Teaching tikes the Word of God is a joy because we learn as much (or more) than the students we engage.
“So,” one little boy asked me while I was in seminary in Boston, “why does Jesus cry?” We had this scripture story in front of us, and this five-year-old knew what the word ‘wept’ meant.
“Jesus is looking at the city in front of him, and He is very sad.” I said. “Why do you think He cries?”
He didn’t answer, but sure thought about it.
I added, “Why do you cry?”
This answer was easier. “I cry when my things get broken.”
We had a heart-to-heart conversation on a toy that had to be tossed at home before I said, “Jesus sees broken people sometimes.”
“But He can fix them.”
A future minister right there, that’s what I saw.
Prescient, he saw a little more. “We have to want to be fixed though.”
As we move closer to Easter, think as a child of God. Do not stay broken. Instead, meet Jesus. Identify Him with a familiar or new name. When you do so, when you are heart to heart with Him, He won’t be the only one with tears.
It is time to heal your broken places. Come to Jesus.
Our scripture tomorrow is Luke 19:37-44.SER
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PRAYER: Lord, tongue depressors and glue sticks can’t fix us. Only Your love can do this. Following these words, we continue this prayer giving whatever is broken in or around us to You….
(After you have given the brokenness to God, say…)
Amen.
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