Our Savior’s Lament
Matthew 23:37-39
Our text this morning takes place in the final days of His earthly ministry leading to His death and resurrection.
Any honest reading of the Gospels will tell you that Christ was not aloof or otherworldly in His interactions with people.
No, He deeply cared for each individual.
I think you can take use the words of Matthew 9:35-38 to summarize His ministry:
Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Our Lord saw the greatness and the severity of the need of mankind.
It was not their politics that moved Him to tears.
It was not their economic circumstances.
It was not their lack of education.
It was the grip that sin had in their hearts.
It was that poison injected into man’s veins back in the Garden of Eden and which broke the perfection of God’s creation.
It was that abomination, that wickedness, that evil, that offense, that iniquity, that transgression, that guilt, that rebellion, that deviance, that erring, that affront to the holiness of our Creator.
We are stand not only guilty of being sinners before God, but also in grossly misvaluing the how horrendous and how vile our sin is in His eyes.
Our very best, according to the prophet Isaiah (64:6), all piled up – “righteousnesses” – are account as “filthy rags” – putrid garbage – in God’s eyes.
You can take a thesaurus and list every adjective, adverb, verb, or noun that relates to the awfulness of sin and still fail miserably at correctly describing it.
Our sins – personal and corporate – and their effects were so great that it took the blood of God Himself to even offer a chance at escape.
No amount of money could do it.
No amount of sacrifice could do it.
No amount to penance could do it.
Christ, the spotless lamb of God, had to suffer in our place, bearing our sins, and conquering death.
Yet that did not instantly cleanse this world and all mankind from our sin.
No, it only provided a door for those willing to trust in Christ.
Before our text, Christ is denouncing those that taught a corrupted form of God’s grace.
The Pharisees said you had to earn your way to forgiveness by keeping the Law.
That is an impossible task.
Somone counted and said there are 613 individual commandments.
No mortal man has kept those – we cannot because we are born as a sinner who will sin.
Christ came to mankind, to the Jew first, to be that one who would fulfill the law in our place, doing what we could not do, providing righteousness we could never merit on our own.
Some saw it and trusted in Him.
Most did not.
In our text, Christ is in the Temple at Jerusalem.
He is in one of the outer courts and many gathered to hear His words.
The series of events leading up to our text begin in Matthew 21:23.
His enemies had tried to trick Him and discredit Him.
They were desperate and plotting to kill Him.
I do not know how many that day truly believed that He was the Messiah and the hope for our salvation.
It is probably the same crowd that cried “Hosanna!” at the Triumphal entry in the opening of chapter 21.
Many of these same voices might just be the same that will shortly cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
It is with profound sadness that Christ looks on the multitude before Him.
In His infinite knowledge He knew their hearts and the hearts of all mankind.
For almost four years He had preached and taught.
He had healed their sick and raised their dead.
He proved time and time again Who He was and clearly stated what His mission was.
Can you just imagine the eyes of our Savior in this moment?
Can you see the tears begin to form?
Can you hear His voice quaver as He speaks?
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!”
What more could He say?
What more could He do?
The hardness of men’s fallen and sinful hearts refused to embrace the grace offered them.
Like Jeremiah and Nehemiah weeping over the ruins of Jerusalem, our Savior laments their rejection and its consequences.
Now, you may be wondering why I am speaking from this passage on this topic in the middle of our Missions month emphasis.
It is not traditionally linked to the idea of Missions, but if you will only look again, I think you will find it is full of missionary emphasis.
It grieves the heart of the Almighty God that mankind does not embrace His only begotten Son that He gave to be the ransom for our sins.
II Peter 3:9 says that God is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
I Timothy 2:4 says that God “…will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
I could go on and point out other proof texts, but I will let the broken heart of Christ speak for itself.
how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
I ask you this morning, have you ever surveyed the state of this old world and been so moved as Christ was?
Does the fact that billions need the Gospel move you?
Statistics say that every minute 107 people pass into eternity – just shy of 2 every second.
Do you ever consider their standing with God?
Does that move you?
Statistics say that every minute 260 babies are born – a little more than 4 per second.
Do you think about who will tell them about Christ?
Does that move you?
Oh, if only we could see this world as Christ does!
If only we were moved with compassion like Him!
If only we were driven to tears like Him!
If only we would be moved to action like Him!
I ask you this morning, when was the last time you were moved like our Savior was?
We have downplayed the importance of the broken heart.
I remind you that our Savior Himself wept many times.
Most famously He wept at the grave at Lazarus.
Yet we hide our tears away.
We are told we must be strong.
We are told we must show strength, but I remind you of the words Paul wrote:
2Co_12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The Bible promises that God takes note of our tears:
Psa 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
Two verses from Psalms show us that God not only aids those with broken hearts, but actually expects it from us!
Psa_51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psa_34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
We have numerous promises that our tears are temporary, that ultimately we will rejoice in the goodness of God!
Psa_30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Do you have a burden this morning?
That is a foolish question – we all do.
Some of those burdens we are not called to carry.
If you are burdened by your sins, we have a Savior that already bore them to Calvary.
Perhaps you have heartaches this morning.
Can I tell you, I think we’ve had a tremendous missions month.
I think our church is poised on the see great things.
Why do I think that?
Because the devil has been working overtime on .
Right now I feel like a boxer who is getting pounded by a flurry of punches, unable to block the incoming blows as they come so quickly and from unexpected directions.
Oh, the burdens we carry!
Oh, the tears we shed!
But, oh, how wonderful is our Savior who said
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Remember the promise of God:
Psa 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
I will close this morning by jumping over to Psalm 126.
It is a cry of Israel when they had been defeated and exiled from their homes.
They are far from home enduring the correction of God.
It begins as a prayer for them to be reconciled to God and return to the Promised Land.
Psa 126:1 A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Psa 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
Psa 126:3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Psa 126:4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
Note vs. 4
It alludes to what are called wadis in the deserts of southern Israel.
These are seasonal streams that are dry much of the year but when the rains come in the highlands they can be filled with rushing water.
Note it is a FLOOD.
Now look at the closing verses.
Psa 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psa 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
We quote these verses often as a comfort.
Yes we may shed tears now, but those are seeds for a future harvest of joy.
It is a promise of a sure and bountiful harvest.
But those verses are not isolated from the rest of the chapter.
No, they part and parcel of it.
I think there is a link between the flood of vs. 4 and the tears of vs. 5.
oMy friends, we may sow in tears but God