Good Grief Part 3: Learning to Lament With JesusНамуна

LAMENT FOR JERUSALEM

In the story of Scripture, God chooses a people, the descendants of Abraham, and He calls them His people. God leads them. He saves them. And He promises that they will become a great nation, and live in a great land, and will be a great blessing to all the other nations. These people promise God that they will obey Him and follow Him and serve Him forever.

God is a promise keeper. The Israelites become a great nation and the land of Israel is a great land. And God’s presence dwells with them in their great city of Jerusalem.

But God’s people are not promise-keepers. They compromise. They sin. They replace God and His wisdom with kings and their own wisdom. Rather than flourish, they fade.

In the time of Jesus, God’s people are living under the oppression of the Roman Emperor. They’re hoping for a Messiah. Hopeful that God will rescue them again as He did long ago from Egypt when Moses led them out.

Enter Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. God incarnate. God’s Word made flesh. Not only has God sent The Messiah, but The Messiah is God Himself. He has come to rescue His people. He has come to lead them out. Not out from Roman rule, but out from under the slavery of their own sin. This is the greater exodus! Jesus is the greater Moses!

But wait, the people aren’t lining up to follow. Instead, most of them think He’s crazy or dangerous or yet another wannabe messiah. God’s people aren’t listening to His Word. And so, the Savior stands and weeps for His people. He weeps for their lack of understanding. He weeps that they are blind to His ways. He weeps, for even though He is about to show them The Way, so many will never follow.

Ask Yourself:

-In what ways am I blind to God’s word and God’s work in my life?

-How can I pray for God’s people, for His church, to remain faithful to following Him?

Pause to Pray: Jesus, how we must break your heart! Yet, You have shown your people great mercy. You died so that we don’t have to be trapped in our sin. You rose from the dead so that we too can rise to new life with you. May my heart break for my sin, yet rejoice in your saving grace…

Take a Next Step: Pray for your church today. Pray for leaders who follow closely after Jesus and for the congregation to be hungry for the words and the ways of Jesus. Invite a friend to pray with you!