June 6, 2008
It almost goes without fail, that when I hear a message about Christ, and what he endured for us that joy overtakes me, but at the same time I am thinking about what Christ did for me, I begin to really think about what Jesus had to do to get me to this point and my throat tightens and tears well in my eyes.
Just the other day, as I was reading through Ezra, I came across the dedication cermony for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, and it seems they had the same emotions.
"With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy." — Ezra 3:11-12
There could be many explanations for their sorrow. We all know the Temple that was built after the exiles returned was not quite the grand house of God Solomon's Temple was, but I believe they cried for another reason. I think they cried because they knew it was their own sin and rejection of God that led to the destruction of that beautiful structure.
Author, pastor and evangelist Ray Stedman gives us a sense of what comes by way of restoration in his commentary on Ezra.
"Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever come back to God after a time of coldness and withdrawal — a captive of sin's power — with a great sense of joy as the foundations of fellowship were relaid by the Spirit? Yet also with regret for the lost and wasted years? This is exactly what is portrayed here. Tears of joy mingled with tears of sorrow as the people saw the temple being relaid."
Time and again I have had to call on Christ to forgive me for what I have done. There have been times (most of the time) when arrogance besets me and I refuse Christ’s offer of peace, but when I come to him in tears, he comforts me.
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." — Luke 7:36-38
When I go before Christ full of pride I do it on my terms. I am there spouting conditions trying to rationalize myself, but fortunately, the Holy Spirit has a way of constantly reminding me of who I really am and to whom I belong.
I will proclaim it loudly, I am a slave to Christ. And even though I have been bought by Christ, there are times when I try to escape.
Unlike a cruel master, though; Christ keeps me always in his sight and welcomes me when I realize I have wandered from my home. With tears I come back to my Savior, even though I know he should lock the gates and ban me from his rest, he lifts me up and dries my tears and tells me its going to be OK.
"Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.' Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'" — Luke 7:44-48
The great evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon, in his eloquent way, laid bare what must have been going through this woman's mind.
"Mark ye well those tears," Spurgeon noted. "Those were no tears of sentimental emotion, but a rain of holy heart-sorrow for sin. She had been a sinner and she knew it; she remembered well her multitude of iniquities, and she felt each sin deserved a tear, and there she stood weeping herself away, because she had offended her dear Lord."
We all have offended our Lord, but sometimes, especially once we are saved, tend to forget we are doing battle with sin in our lives on a daily basis.
For those who have rejected Christ, there are no tears because there is no battle, they have succumbed to sin and currently have no regrets — though they will someday soon.
There is immutable joy to be found in Christ, but also great sorrow.
Sorrow, not because we did things contrary to what Jesus would have us to do, but sorrow because we have wasted time where we could have been in service to God, just like the sorrow of the priests and Levites at the laying of the Temple foundation.
Let us always proclaim the joy that comes from being a Christian. Let us praise Jesus in all that we do because he gave us all, but let us always remember with sorrow why Christ had to pay such an awful penalty — our own sins. Then, go out and share with the world the joy in having a Savior willing to take on and become sin for us in order that we might live.
Giving honor and glory to Christ in front of the whole world is the least we can do for one who did so much for us.
Just the other day, as I was reading through Ezra, I came across the dedication cermony for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, and it seems they had the same emotions.
"With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy." — Ezra 3:11-12
There could be many explanations for their sorrow. We all know the Temple that was built after the exiles returned was not quite the grand house of God Solomon's Temple was, but I believe they cried for another reason. I think they cried because they knew it was their own sin and rejection of God that led to the destruction of that beautiful structure.
Author, pastor and evangelist Ray Stedman gives us a sense of what comes by way of restoration in his commentary on Ezra.
"Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever come back to God after a time of coldness and withdrawal — a captive of sin's power — with a great sense of joy as the foundations of fellowship were relaid by the Spirit? Yet also with regret for the lost and wasted years? This is exactly what is portrayed here. Tears of joy mingled with tears of sorrow as the people saw the temple being relaid."
Time and again I have had to call on Christ to forgive me for what I have done. There have been times (most of the time) when arrogance besets me and I refuse Christ’s offer of peace, but when I come to him in tears, he comforts me.
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." — Luke 7:36-38
When I go before Christ full of pride I do it on my terms. I am there spouting conditions trying to rationalize myself, but fortunately, the Holy Spirit has a way of constantly reminding me of who I really am and to whom I belong.
I will proclaim it loudly, I am a slave to Christ. And even though I have been bought by Christ, there are times when I try to escape.
Unlike a cruel master, though; Christ keeps me always in his sight and welcomes me when I realize I have wandered from my home. With tears I come back to my Savior, even though I know he should lock the gates and ban me from his rest, he lifts me up and dries my tears and tells me its going to be OK.
"Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.' Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'" — Luke 7:44-48
The great evangelist Charles H. Spurgeon, in his eloquent way, laid bare what must have been going through this woman's mind.
"Mark ye well those tears," Spurgeon noted. "Those were no tears of sentimental emotion, but a rain of holy heart-sorrow for sin. She had been a sinner and she knew it; she remembered well her multitude of iniquities, and she felt each sin deserved a tear, and there she stood weeping herself away, because she had offended her dear Lord."
We all have offended our Lord, but sometimes, especially once we are saved, tend to forget we are doing battle with sin in our lives on a daily basis.
For those who have rejected Christ, there are no tears because there is no battle, they have succumbed to sin and currently have no regrets — though they will someday soon.
There is immutable joy to be found in Christ, but also great sorrow.
Sorrow, not because we did things contrary to what Jesus would have us to do, but sorrow because we have wasted time where we could have been in service to God, just like the sorrow of the priests and Levites at the laying of the Temple foundation.
Let us always proclaim the joy that comes from being a Christian. Let us praise Jesus in all that we do because he gave us all, but let us always remember with sorrow why Christ had to pay such an awful penalty — our own sins. Then, go out and share with the world the joy in having a Savior willing to take on and become sin for us in order that we might live.
Giving honor and glory to Christ in front of the whole world is the least we can do for one who did so much for us.
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