Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. (Luke 19:41)

Jesus Wept

John 11:35 is remembered as the shortest verse in the Bible. But the impact of that tiny verse is enormous. Jesus cried and felt empathy for man. On one occasion He approached Jerusalem and was overwhelmed by what He saw. It was a grand city splendid in its ornate Herodian buildings with the Temple as its centerpiece. Travelers would have been awe struck by Jerusalem. The Jews were deeply proud of the city. What Jesus saw on that day amid the accolades of a triumphal entry was a deep sadness for what would befall the city of God. He wept over the city.

What deeply troubled the Lord was how the people of Jerusalem went about their daily activities unaware the city would one day be completely destroyed. He knew what was coming. He knew the deep depravity of the city. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing” (Luke 13:34). Jesus could see what men could not.

Today the world is the city of Jerusalem. There is much joy and happiness to see in a world given to us by the Creator. But there are times that we must see the world for what it truly is. How often the Lord wants men to be saved and they are not willing. The future of the world is determined and there will be no changing. Jesus wept for He saw clearly the needs of men. May our tears for the needs of man motivate us to save others while it is yet time. Let us know the future by touching the tears of Jesus as He wept over Jerusalem.

The tragedy of today is that the situation is desperate but the saints are not. (Vance Havner)