November 11, 2007

Cawson St. Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

When Not to Weep

 

Introduction: This is the last in our series on “When Not to. . . .” There is a time and season for everything under heaven, wrote Solomon. But this does not include a time for doing evil. There is never an appropriate or good time for sin. We should always seek to do what is right and good. But there are many legitimate things that have both a time for them to be done and time not to do them.

 

There is a time to weep and a time not to weep. Solomon wrote, “There is a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Eccl. 3:4.) The wise man also wrote that there is value in sorrow. In a remarkable passage, he said, “Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” (Eccl. 7:3.)

 

1—Friends weeping for Job. Three of Job’s friends sat with him speechless for seven days. The Bible says that they lifted up their voice and wept. (Job 2:12-13.) They saw the depth of Job’s grief and just sat on the ground with him. Job had lost everything that he possessed, including his children. But there was one thing that his friends did not know—he was being tested by Satan due to his faithfulness, not unfaithfulness. God pointed him out to Satan and asked if he had considered his servant Job. God said that there was not one like him who was upright, feared God and eschewed evil. (2:3.)

 

But the prevailing theology of the day said that if one suffered greatly, it meant that the person had sinned greatly and brought it upon himself. Job’s three friends expressed that view to Job when Job argued that he had done nothing worthy of such suffering. Job grieved in confusion while his friends sat in self-righteousness and blamed him for spiritual failures. But in the end, God justified Job and rebuked his three friends because they did not speak the truth. God told them to take some animals for sacrifices and carry them to Job to offer for them. (Job 42:7-8.)

 

2—Jews in captivity in Babylon. The Psalmist wrote, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5, 6.) The scene is Israel’s captivity in Babylon. The value of weeping is self-evident on this occasion. What if a country went into captivity in another country and there was little emotion expressed? At the very least, it shows that captivity is significant. In addition, the greater the anxiety, the greater the rejoicing will be. Sow in tears; reap in joy.

 

The Babylonians demanded of the Jews songs of praise. “By the river of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they required of us a song and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” (Psalm 137:1-4.) Two groups are present: the Babylonians and the Jews in exile. The Jews are weeping; the Babylonians were at peace wanting to hear more of their songs of faith. Yet the Babylonians should have been weeping because God’s judgment rested upon them as well. (Isaiah 21 & 47 and Jeremiah 50.)

 

3—Weeping for Jesus at the cross. When Jesus was led out to Calvary to be crucified, a group of women followed him wailing and lamenting. But Jesus turned to them, with his back scourged and bleeding, and said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bare, and the paps that never gave suck. Then shall they say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (Luke 23:28-31.)

 

Jesus said, Weep not for me, but for yourselves. There is a time not to weep. In this case, do not weep for One who chose the cross and who is innocent. A dry tree is suitable for burning; but a green tree does not burn easily. Shortly, Jerusalem will be destroyed.

 

Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He said that he would have gathered them together like a chicken gathers his chicks under her wings, but Jerusalem would not allow him to protect and save them. (Matt. 23:37-38.) The suffering and devastation that befell Jerusalem in 68-70 AD was unspeakable. Josephus described the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman commander.

 

Perhaps today, many who hear the story of Jesus’ suffering feel sympathy and anguish over what he suffered without putting their trust in Him. Do you think that Jesus might say, Weep for yourselves and not for me! The Judgment upon you will be greater. There is a time not to weep. “Blessed are they that mourn,” said Jesus. This is mourning over one’s own sins. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” also refers to the humility we should feel over sins in our own lives. Paul added: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Phil. 3:18-19.) Note the contrast between verses 18-19 with 20-21. Our citizenship is in heaven; they mind earthly things. Our bodies will be changed into glorious ones; they will suffer destruction.

 

4—Weeping for Lazarus. At the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Jews had gathered because Lazarus had died. There was much emotion, tender emotions, anytime a loved one dies. Jesus seeing their sorrow was touched by it and wept. (John 11:35.) It is alright to weep when a loved one dies; it shows our compassion and love for them. The Jews noted when they saw Jesus weeping, “Behold, how he loved him.”

 

Jesus told Martha, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha replied, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. But Jesus said, I am the resurrection and life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Martha said, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 11:23-27.) Sometimes we weep when we should lift up our eyes to God Almighty!

 

Did not Paul write, “But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (1 Thess. 4:13-14.) Jesus often told others not to weep when a loved one died. He said, She is not dead but sleeps. (Luke 8:52, Luke 7:13—a widow weeping for her only son.)

 

5—The apostle John was told to weep not. God is pictured in heaven with a sealed book in his right hand. (Rev. 5:1f.) An angel asked, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seven seals on it? No man in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth was found who was able to open the book and to look thereon. John the apostle who saw this vision wept much because no man was found worthy to open the book. (5:4, KJV) The NIV says, “I wept and wept.” One of the twenty-four elders said to John, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seals. (5:5.)

 

Sometimes we weep when we should not; there is hope in the world. Loosening the seals of the book means one who is qualified to carry out the judgment of God against the beast. In Revelation, Jesus is both lamb and lion. As a lamb, he is able to save. As a lion, he is able to conquer and avenge the blood of the saints spilled by the Roman beast.

 

Paul described side-by-side the tragic effects of Adam’s sin and the remedial work of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:12-21.) By one man sin entered the world; by one man righteousness entered the world. By one man, death came upon the whole human family. By one man, life was made possible to all. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Law-sin-and death have been replaced by grace-righteousness-eternal life.

 

There is a balm in Gilead; a great physician in a world of sickness. Weep not, for behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the book.

 

6—Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus. On the first day of the week, Peter and John raced to the tomb of Jesus when told that Jesus was missing. They entered the rock tomb and looked around seeing the linen shroud. The men left the sepulcher and went home, but Mary Magdalene stayed behind weeping. (John 20:10-11.) Two angels asked Mary, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said, Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him. When she said that, she turned back and saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize him. He asked her, “Woman, why weepest thou? Who do you seek? (20:15.) Twice Mary Madgalene was asked, Why do you weep? It is understandable why she wept, but it is a good question even today. Why do we weep? Jesus arose from the dead, defeating the powers of darkness.

 

The world is filled with sadness and sorrow, but we need not weep as if there is no hope. We have every reason to heed the admonition, Weep not.

 

Conclusion: We most often speak of God wiping away all tears in the future. While that is true (Rev. 21:4), the Bible says, Weep not and sorrow not now!