Tears

by THOMSON, A. J. S. | Category: General | Sept 1971

Perhaps because of the fear of being regarded too emotional, unrestrained tears are seldom seen in an adult. But in earlier days strong men were not ashamed of their tears. God said to Hezekiah, "I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears" (2 Kings 20:5). Job did not blush to say, "I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin ... my face is foul with weeping" (Job 16:15-16). "Mine eye poureth out tears unto God" (verse 20).

Tears had a very important part in the experience of the psalmists, "I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with tears" (Psalm 6:6); "My tears have been my meat day and night" (Psalm 42:3); "Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book?" (Psalm 56:8). Jeremiah wrote, "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people" (Jer. 9:1). Then the apostle Paul testified to the elders at Ephesus:

"Serving the Lord ... with tears" (Acts 20:19). "By the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears" (verse 31). And he wrote to the saints in Philippi about some, "I now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ". Again to the Corinthians he wrote with "many tears". Paul recalls some deep-moving experience with Timothy when he said, "longing to see thee, remembering thy tears" (2 Tim. 1:4). What memories were re-lived of those two dedicated men, the older man with the younger. Young Timothy, no doubt, bad seen the aged apostle in tears, and this would make a deep impression.

Perhaps we have today a lack of feeling, and are less sensible to the facts existing around us. These men were true brethren, living in the warp and woof of their fellowcountrymen's experience to a tearful extent. In their prayers there was no need to fill thinking space with meaningless phrases or cliches. No need for awkward pauses to think what else might be prayed for. No indeed! silent tears had a meaning which cold words never could express. God looks to the man with the broken and contrite heart, and respects him for his mourning.

The psalmist says, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Though he goeth on his way weeping, bearing forth the seed; he shall come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5,6). Maybe our reaping is thin through the lack of watering the seed with tears of deep concern. God called on His people through Joel to rend their hearts and not their garments, and the promise was that the floors would be full of wheat and the fats would overflow with wine and oil. The lost years eaten by the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpillar and the palmerworm would be restored and they would eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord their God. A cold, frigid nature will never win souls for Christ, on whose heart a weight of sorrow ever hung.

"Oh give us hearts to love like Thee, Like Thee 0 Lord to grieve

Far more for others' sins, than all The wrongs that we receive".

The example of the Master Himself is arresting and instructive: "Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear" (Heb. 5:7). What a contrast to the hard, feelingless attitude of the Rabbis of His day. Touched with the feelings of our infirmities; He makes our cause His own. Mighty God, yet truly Man. Who of us can estimate the value of those tears shed on our behalf? When the disciples heard Him pray, little wonder they were moved to say, "Lord, teach us to pray".

Never an angel told, but this I know,

That He to whom that night Gethsemane

Opened its secrets, cannot help but go

Softly thereafter, as one lately shriven,

Passionately loving, as one much forgiven.

And never, never can his heart forget

That head with hair all wet

With the red dews of love's extremity,

Those eyes from which fountains of love did flow,

There in the Garden of Gethsemane.

THOMSON, A. J. S. | Sept 1971
General