Tears speak more about what our hearts feel than any words could ever express. Those tiny drops of humanity that tumble from our eyes, creep down our cheeks and splash on the floor carry the message that our hearts ache and hurt. Tears are the messengers that sometimes substitute for our crippled words. They spill out carrying with them our deepest emotions. A tear stain on a cheek speaks more than words ever could. A tear falling on a casket says what a spoken farewell never could. What gives more support than the tears on the face of a friend as we pour out our troubles to them? What do we do when the words just won’t come out right as all the nouns and verbs and adverbs and adjectives lay deflated at our feet?
Tears are a language that Jesus understands.
The scripture says that Jesus was moved by the heartbreak of their souls and that His Spirit groaned inside him and He was troubled.
I want us to see how Jesus deals with each of our needs in very specific ways. According to our personalities and needs Jesus meets us differently. In our passage we see Jesus enter the scene and Martha, the same Martha that we read about in Luke 10 that was too busy to sit down and listen to Jesus rushes out to meet Jesus first. She is a go-getter she goes out to meet Jesus and has questions, she raises theological issues, she needs to vent, and she needs some answers. There is no mention of Martha pouring out her soul in His presence. No mention of that happening with Martha but with Mary it was a different story, wasn’t it? For Mary she was more emotional, she was a crier. Notice what Jesus does.
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept.
Mary fell at the feet of the One she knew held the future and wept! She poured out her heart to the One who could make the difference and moved Jesus to work in her circumstances.
Tears are a language that Jesus understands!
How many of us are moved by the heartbreak of our children or some disappointment that crushes their little souls? Won’t we also move to do all within our power to help them and ease the pain? As parents we do all within our power to make it all right.
Why do we think that Jesus doesn’t care about our troubles or the things that trouble us?
John 11: 35, the shortest verse in the entire bible. Did you know that? Many people memorize this one because its so easy to remember, but man is it powerful! “ JESUS WEPT!” Those two words let us know that God is concerned about the things that break our hearts! God wants so much to be a part of our everyday lives. Did you know that? God is moved by the tears of his children
Jesus not only cries with us, he also cries for us. His heart breaks when we don’t recognize our need for him. His heart breaks from our unbelief. His heart breaks when we don’t live the lives we could. I love the compassion in Jesus in Luke 19:41-42 “ 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”
Think of all the tears that must be shed in heaven as Jesus who died on the cross NONE might perish but all have everlasting life with him, sees each and every moment some lost soul dies and is separated from Him for all eternity. God created us to fellowship with him and live with him. I believe that Jesus has shed many tears for you if you’re here today and you still have not received Jesus . Jesus knows that time, the last time, you’ll reject the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. You aren’t able to see that invisible line in the Spirit but Jesus does and for some of you this could be the last time you hear. Tears are a language that Jesus understands when people reject the truth and won’t come to Him.
You might be here and think that you don’t deserve this kind of love, that you’re unworthy. No one has ever loved me before or I’ve lived such a bad life, surely God only wants to punish me. Jesus loves you just the way you are and he’ll accept you and write your name in His Book of Life if you’ll only respond to Him right now. You may have been abused, mistreated, unloved, made fun of your whole life for the way you look, where you live, the clothes you wear or the things you’ve done but Jesus still died for you that you might have life and have it more abundantly as it says in John 10:10.
You may say “I don’t have any self-esteem because of what’s happened to me,” Jesus doesn’t want you to have self-esteem: he wants you to have self-worth! You were worth so much it took the blood of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one at whose name every knee will bow and every tongue confess, to purchase your salvation. You’re worth so much Jesus died for you!
Some of you may even at this moment be crying on the inside wondering if all this is really true and your head hangs low in your heart as you wonder. My best has never been good enough and I’m just ashamed of what I am but listen to me, God will reach out a nail scarred hand to lift you up and put peace in your heart and joy down deep in your soul if you’ll only let him. Don’t resist Jesus today. Tears are a language that Jesus understands.
Darrell
Upwards Church 