March 30: The Tears of Christ
♫ Music:
Day 30 - Thursday, March 30
Christ Weeps Over Jerusalem
Scripture: Matthew 23:37-39
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Poetry:
"Jesus Weeps"
by Malcolm Guite
Jesus comes near and he beholds the city
And looks on us with tears in his eyes,
And wells of mercy, streams of love and pity
Flow from the fountain whence all things arise.
He loved us into life and longs to gather
And meet with his beloved face to face.
How often has he called, a careful mother,
And wept for our refusals of his grace,
Wept for a world that, weary with its weeping,
Benumbed and stumbling, turns the other way;
Fatigued compassion is already sleeping
Whilst her worst nightmares stalk the light of day.
But we might waken yet, and face those fears,
If we could see ourselves through Jesus’ tears.
THE TEARS OF CHRIST
Malcolm Guite asks in Jesus Weeps a question we must ponder: “How often has he…wept for our refusal of his grace?” Jesus weeps over our unwillingness to trust, especially in our darkest hours.
John’s Gospel records a famous instance of Jesus’ weeping.
Lazarus is gravely ill when his sisters, Martha and Mary, send for Jesus to come to Bethany, their small city. When they seek Jesus out, he’s 20 miles away, teaching near the Jordan River. Time is of the essence, so a messenger rushes to find Jesus to tell him of Lazarus’ grim state. After a day walking hills that stretch along the Jericho Road, the messenger finds Jesus. He conveys the sisters’ urgent word that their brother and Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, is dying. “Please come quickly.”
But Jesus doesn’t come at once. When Jesus hears Lazarus is ill, he stays where he is two days longer. After this 48-hour delay, he then begins the journey to Bethany to find these siblings he loved so much.
Jesus loved them, but he didn’t come on time.
Ever feel that way? When Jesus who loves you does not come on your schedule? Maybe you said this when your mother died too young or your business failed, despite your sacrificial investments. Maybe you said this when your son walked away from the faith or your deep valley of emotional drought seemed endless. Jesus, where are you? Why don’t you come when I call for you?
Jesus finally arrives on day four, weeping beside the grave of Lazarus. Why would Jesus weep? As Jesus is all knowing, he does not weep over hearing his friend has died. As Jesus is all-powerful, he does not weep because death won. Jesus weeps because he longs to see his followers believe, just as in Matthew 23 he laments for Jerusalem to believe. Minutes earlier, Martha believes with her words in declaring Jesus as the Christ, but she and the disciples do not believe with courageous faith when he tells them to roll the stone from Lazarus’ grave.
Jesus grieves because he wants us to trust him, especially with our lives’ gravest situations.
I believe this is why Jesus waited four days before coming to Bethany. In first century Jewish culture, it was not until after four days that the body was legally dead. After four days, life had no chance of returning. Jesus comes on day four, when the only explanation for Lazarus’ resurrection is the power of God.
After he weeps, Jesus prays in a way that reveals the cause of his tears. “Father, may they believe that you have sent me.” Why does Jesus want you to believe? When you believe this way, Jesus said to Martha, “you will see the glory of God.” When you believe, when you trust in God, through your deepest griefs and when you witness his resurrecting power in your life, you have not seen a miracle. You have seen the glory of God.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I believe, help my unbelief. Please keep me from grieving You. May I trust You and Your timing even when all looks dark. Today, show me Your glory through Your Word and help me to reflect this glory to others. As the face of Moses shone —let me faithfully live in Your presence and radiate Your presence to others. Above all, give me a holy desire to rely upon Your Son who is resurrection and life in each situation, from the simple to the rigorous. Show me Your glory!
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Barry Corey
President, Biola University
About the Artwork #1:
Man of Sorrows
James Janknegt
Oil on canvas
About the Artist #1:
James Janknegt (b. 1954) is a contemporary artist who lives and paints in Elgin, Texas, and is devoted to the pursuit of sacred art. Strongly influenced by the colorful folk art of Mexico and the American Southwest, Janknegt is highly sought after for his Biblical illustrations, paintings and murals. In addition to his own work, he runs an art school for children. Currently he is publishing a book of Lenten Meditations which will contain 40 of his parable paintings paired with scripture, meditations and prayers.
http://bcartfarm.com/index.html
About the Artwork #2:
Golgotha
Julio Reyes
Oil on canvas
About the Artist #2:
Julio Reyes (b.1982) was raised in the urban sprawls of Los Angeles. His distinct artistic aesthetic was shaped early on by the platinum light and expansive concrete horizons of southern California. Through skillful craft, Julio offers a unique and passionate vision of painting. His work often depicts intimate dramas; brief moments of unnoticed grandeur; tender souls grappling with the pressures of modern life, and a compassionate, thought provoking vision of what it is to be, treading alone in the increasingly virtual and unsympathetic environment of our modern age. Within his work, one witnesses the intense drama of humanity, the depth of passion within us all, and the need for belonging within our contemporary world.
www.julioreyes.com
About the Music:
“When Jesus Wept”
Lyrics:
When Jesus wept, the falling tear
in mercy flowed beyond all bound.
When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear
seized all the guilty world around.
About the Composer:
William Billings was an American choral composer, and is widely regarded as the father of American choral music. His compositions were primarily written for a four-part, acapella chorus, with a uniquely American folk style.
About the Performers:
The Hilliard Ensemble (vocals) & Jan Garbarek (saxophone)
The Hilliard Ensemble was a British male vocal quartet originally devoted to the performance of early music. The group was named after the Elizabethan miniaturist painter Nicholas Hilliard. Founded in 1974, the group disbanded in 2014. Although most of its work focused on music of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, the Hilliard Ensemble also performed contemporary music, working frequently with the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and included in its concerts works by John Cage, Gavin Bryars, Giya Kancheli, and Heinz Holliger.
Jan Garbarek (b. 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist who is also active in classical and world music. His style incorporates a sharp-edged tone, long, keening, sustained notes, and generous use of silence. He began his recording career in the late 1960s, notably featuring on recordings by the American jazz composer George Russell. As a composer, Garbarek tends to draw heavily on Scandinavian folk melodies. He is also a pioneer of ambient jazz composition.
About the Poet:
Malcolm Guite (b. 1957) is a poet, author, Anglican priest, teacher and singer/songwriter based in Cambridge, England. He has published six collections of poetry: Saying the Names, The Magic Apple Tree, Sounding the Seasons: Poetry for the Christian Year, and The Singing Bowl, Waiting on the Word and the recently released Parable and Paradox: Sonnets on the Sayings of Jesus and Other Poems. His writing has been acclaimed by Rowan Williams and Luci Shaw, and his Antiphons appeared in Penguin’s Best Spiritual Writing 2013, edited by Philip Zaleski. Malcolm’s theological works include What Do Christians Believe? and Faith, Hope, and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination. He is a scholar of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the British poets and serves as Bye-Fellow and chaplain at Girton College at the University Cambridge while supervising students in English and theology and lecturing widely in England and the USA. Malcolm plays in the Cambridge rock band Mystery Train and his albums include The Green Man and Dancing through the Fire.
www.malcolmguite.wordpress.com