In The Middle Of The MessSample

The Bible describes many people who lived shame-filled lives until they looked into the eyes of Jesus. In His eyes, their shame was met with fiery love and burned to ash. There were so many women who were shamed by their culture but were restored by His love: the prostitute, the woman at the well, the woman who was caught in adultery and thrown to the ground at Jesus’ feet. He saw them in some of their worst moments and loved them.

That’s still true. Christ hates the sin and shame that devastates—especially, perhaps, the secret sin and shame—but He is crazy passionate about us. The devastating message of shame is that we are something wrong, but Christ nailed that lie to a tree more than two thousand years ago: “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” (Ps. 34:5).

Christ nailed our sin and shame to the cross, and in so doing, He brought it out into the open and released it of its power over us. Christ made it our mission to love our fellow shame carriers, the secret bearers, the same way He did. He made it our mission to love them back to life. It’s our calling to let them know that shame no longer lives. It died on a cross two thousand years ago, and we need not resurrect it. We can help them carry their loads without adding the weight of shame. . . .

In Luke 19, Christ makes His way into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. The crowds welcome Him with open arms, shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest!” (v. 38 NIV).

Then Luke tells us that as Christ looked over the Holy City, He wept “because you did not recognize it when God visited you” (v. 44).

Luke moves away from that panoramic picture and focuses on the weeping face of Christ. Why do you think Christ wept in that moment?

I wonder if Christ ever weeps over us when—even as we raise our voices in worship—our hearts, our shame, our pain is hidden? Is there something you have hidden away inside that you need to bring into the light of Christ?