“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” Luke 19:41

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that Jesus cried on the number of occasions. Particularly this instance, where he wept, when seeing the city of Jerusalem. What was Jesus crying about? In fact, he wasn’t just crying, the Greek word for “wept” in this passage, literally means to well allowed as opposed to the use of the word wept in another passage, that means to “cry quietly.” So Jesus was wailing over the city. But why?

Verse 44 gives us the answer, speaking to the Israelites: “because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

And therein is the answer. Jesus just wants His people to recognize Him, to come to Him, to receive Him, to give their lives to Him, and to accept the salvation that He brings.

I imagine that Jesus feels the same way today. Jesus is waiting for our world to receive Him. Life would be so much better for everyone if they simply gave their lives to the Lord. Yet in our rebelliousness, we continue to lead our own lives in the way that we want. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

We think that we will be set free yet what we find is bondage.

Free sex! Yet it results in bondage.
Get drunk! Bondage.
Take advantage of others! Bondage.

And on and on.

Proverbs 14:12 warns us that there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. In our modern world, we are bombarded with various ways and ideologies that promise happiness, success, and fulfillment. However, many of these ways lead to death, both literally and figuratively.

One way that leads to death is the pursuit of wealth and material possessions. Our society places a high value on money and material goods, and many people believe that accumulating wealth will bring them happiness and security. However, the Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and that we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). When we prioritize wealth over God and others, we become selfish and greedy, and this can lead to broken relationships and a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction.

Another way that leads to death is the pursuit of pleasure and instant gratification. Our culture encourages us to seek pleasure in various forms, whether it be through substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, or other vices. However, these pursuits often lead to addiction, brokenness, and ultimately, physical and spiritual death. As the Bible warns us, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

In contrast to the ways of the world, the Bible offers us a different way of life that leads to true and lasting fulfillment. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). When we surrender our lives to Jesus and follow His teachings, we discover a way of life that is marked by love, joy, peace, and eternal life. Let us choose the narrow path that leads to life, rather than the wide path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

Back to Luke 19:41, where we see Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem. He knew that the city would reject him and suffer destruction. Jesus’ tears were a reflection of his deep love and compassion for the people, despite their rejection of him.

Likewise, we live in a world that is broken and hurting. We see the effects of sin all around us, including poverty, injustice, violence, and sickness. It can be easy to become overwhelmed or even desensitized to the pain and suffering in our world. However, we are called to have compassion on the world around us, just as Jesus did.

Compassion means to suffer with or empathize with those who are hurting. When we have compassion, we are moved to action. We seek to alleviate the suffering of others and bring hope and healing to those who are in need. We can do this by serving those who are less fortunate, advocating for justice, and sharing the love of Jesus with those who are lost.

However, true compassion requires more than just a one-time act of service or charity. It requires a lifestyle of love and sacrifice. It means being willing to inconvenience ourselves for the sake of others and to stand up for what is right, even when it is not popular.

As we seek to have compassion on the world around us, we can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Jesus himself is with us, weeping over the brokenness of our world and inviting us to join him in bringing healing and hope to all those who are hurting.

Ultimately the goal is salvation for the world. In fact, that is what produces joy in the heart of the Lord. There is no weeping when a sinner repents.

In Luke 15:7, Jesus says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” This passage reveals God’s heart for the lost and His joy when sinners turn to him in repentance.

God is not indifferent or angry towards sinners; rather, He longs for them to come back to Him. When we turn away from sin and towards God, we experience His forgiveness, love, and grace. And when we do, God rejoices over us, just as a shepherd rejoices over a lost sheep that is found.

This passage reminds us that no matter how far we may have strayed from God, there is always hope for restoration and reconciliation. We can never be too far gone for God’s love and grace to reach us. When we turn to God in repentance, we are welcomed with open arms and celebrated by heaven.

Let us take heart in the fact that God rejoices over sinners who repent. Let us be people who are quick to repent and seek God’s forgiveness, knowing that He is always ready and willing to receive us back into his loving embrace.

And let our message to the world be that God loves them and that His plan is a good one for their lives!

We'd love to hear your thoughts about this article. Please take a minute to share them in the comment section by clicking here. Or carry the conversation over on your favorite social network by clicking one of the share buttons below.

 
 
 

Join the conversation!

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.