眼泪
魏师母
路加福音 19:41-42;约翰福音 11:32-33;35;耶利米书 31:3
我们今天读到一些关于耶稣哭泣的经文!眼泪让我感动不已, 但耶稣的眼泪和那意味着什么更让我感动! 我们知道耶稣为我们做了什么,我们已经相信了,并且非常感激, 我们想每天为衪而活,并与所有愿意倾听的人分享耶稣的好消息, 特别是我们的家人!在路加福音 19:41-42 中,耶稣在被钉十字架前一周的棕榈主日进入耶路撒冷。 当衪接近耶路撒冷时,衪看到了这座城市, 我们读到耶稣为这座城市哭泣。耶稣感到悲伤, 因为衪的人民没有认出衪到底是谁,错过了获得永恒和平的机会。 他们对真理视而不见。罪的本质是盲目和无知。 人们仍然对真理视而不见。
九岁那年,我深刻认识到自己的罪,持续了三天。我很难过, 但我没有告诉任何人,因为我不明白。我认为, 我深刻认识到自己的罪,持续了三天,这很重要。当时, 我们教会正在举行一次复兴会,牧师每晚都在宣讲福音。 我母亲注意到,那几天我非常安静,心烦意乱。我睡得不好, 事实上,我非常害怕自己会死,不能上天堂。我母亲和我谈了谈, 带我去拜访牧师。一天晚上,在复兴会唱诗时, 牧师问是否有人愿意来邀请耶稣进入他们的心中。我很紧张, 但我再也等不及了……我走下去握住牧师的手, 告诉他我想相信耶稣。那天晚上我哭了很多…… 我的眼泪是我对罪的悲伤,当我对耶稣说“是”时, 我立刻感受到了一生中最美妙的平安。我仍然清楚地记得那一刻。 这是我第一次体验到“出人意外的平安”。我知道耶稣原谅了我, 我接受了耶稣进入我的生命。 我为罪而流下的悲伤泪水变成了我得救的喜悦泪水!
还有一次我想分享我流下的泪水,这对我来说非常有意义。 我们在台湾待了大约 2 年,我父亲因癌症去世。这是我第一次经历如此巨大的损失, 失去了一个我非常亲近的人。我无法回到美国参加葬礼。 我们的传教士朋友在家里举行了一场仪式来安慰我、 魏牧师和我们的孩子。他们邀请了我们的中国教会朋友和牧师。 那是清晨 5 点左右。当然,那天有很多眼泪。我预料到我会哭, 我预料到我的传教士家人会哭,这让我感到安慰。 但最让我感动的是我们的华人教会兄弟姐妹,他们来了,泪流满面, 他们握着我的手,向我表达他们的悲痛。就好像他们认识我的父亲, 但他们并不认识。看到他们的愛,对我来说是一种美妙的安慰。 我们只在台湾呆了 2 年,但他们的愛是如此真实,给了我很大的安慰。
有时我们的眼泪是深深的悲伤,有时是巨大的压力和环境。 有时我们的眼泪是别人哭泣时流下的。 有时我们的眼泪是幸福的眼泪。我妈妈告诉我, 在我决志接受耶稣作救主的那天晚上,我爸爸哭了。她还告诉我, 爸爸在我结婚那天哭了。这些都是幸福的眼泪! 我从未见过我爸爸流下那些眼泪。他非常注重隐私。 但我很感谢我妈妈和我分享了爸爸的眼泪, 因为这让我确信了他深深的愛。
眼泪可以表达愛!伟大的愛!当我们今天读到耶稣流泪的故事时, 我们被上帝如此愛我们所感动。当我们受伤、感到沮丧、 不知所措时,衪是我们可以信赖的上帝。当我们受苦时, 我们可以让上帝的双臂环绕着我们,我们的眼泪落在衪的肩上。 赞美主!当耶稣的好朋友拉撒路死后,我们在经文中看到“ 耶稣哭了”。这是圣经中最短的经文。只有两个字,却意义重大! 当耶稣知道衪即将使拉撒路从死里复活时,衪为什么哭了? 我认为衪哭泣是因为衪的朋友们很痛苦。 我们可以理解马利亚和马大的感受, 我们可以看到她们的痛苦和悲伤!“要是你在这里就好了……” 马利亚说。也许衪流着泪说,“我很抱歉让你经历这些。” 痛苦很快就会结束,这没关系。衪朋友的痛苦对衪来说很重要。 耶稣和我们一样痛苦。即使衪知道好日子即将到来, 衪今天也和我们一样痛苦。无论我们在哪里……在家里, 在我们的书桌前,在我们的车里,在医院的病床旁,站在墓碑前。 衪和我们一起哭泣。因为我们的痛苦是真实的。那就是愛。 这是一位如此愛我们的上帝。无论我们经历什么, 我们都可以信任衪!我们的造物主创造了我们, 让我们用泪水温柔地表达情感,这难道不令人惊奇吗? 我们的眼泪说出了无法言说的话!这是上帝赐予我们的另一份恩典。
当我们面对悲伤时,我们的注意力集中在什么地方? 我是否专注于我认为上帝应该做不同的事情? 还是我被衪多么深愛我以及衪与我同在的真理所锚定? 上帝的眼泪提醒我们,上帝关心我们。衪记得每一个悲伤, 每一滴眼泪。当大卫王经历黑暗时期时,他在诗篇56:8中说:“ 我几次流离,你都记数;求你把我的眼泪装在你的皮袋里”。 有时我们不明白上帝的方式,衪允许的事情, 但我们应该祈祷圣灵在我们心中留下最深的印象, 上帝以永恒的愛愛我们。上帝从未打算让我们生活在一个充满战争、 苦难和损失的破碎世界中。在拉撒路的故事中, 我们被即将发生的事情以及耶稣将如何改变一切所吸引…… 我们可能会错过这个故事的中间部分。 耶稣停下来与马利亚和马大一起哭泣。 衪知道衪有能力解决这个问题。衪知道衪要做什么, 但衪花时间站在马利亚和马大身边,和她们一起悲伤。 衪与她们一起悲伤。衪也深愛着拉撒路。 既然衪知道衪即将让拉撒路复活,衪的眼泪就一定不止于此。 衪哭泣是因为衪周围的人非常伤心。 有人说衪为这个世界的破碎而哭泣。也许衪为创造的堕落而哭泣, 衪为死亡的伤心而哭泣。事情不应该是这样。 我们只能想象耶稣的脑海中可能正在想这些。总有一天, 耶稣会回来恢复一切。衪会擦去我们脸上的每一滴泪水。 衪会让万物焕然一新。衪以永恒的愛愛我们, 以慈愛吸引我们归向祂!阿们!赞美主!
(魏师母于2024年8月29日5:00 晨祷分享)
Tears
Elinda West
Luke 19:41-42; John 11:32-33; 35; Jeremiah 31:3
We are reading some scripture today about Jesus’ weeping! I am so touched by tears, but I’m even more moved by Jesus’ tears and what that means! We know what Jesus has done for us and we’ve already believed and are so grateful that we want to live for Him every day and share the Good News of Jesus with everyone who will listen! Especially our family members! In Luke 19: 41-42 Jesus is coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the week before his crucifixion. As he approaches Jerusalem, he sees the city and we read that Jesus wept over the city. Jesus feels sorrow that his people didn’t recognize who He really was and missed the chance to have eternal peace. They were blind to the truth. The essence of sin is blindness and ignorance. People still are blind to the truth.
When I was 9 years old, I came under great conviction of sin for 3 days. I was miserable and I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t understand it. I believe that it is significant that my conviction of sin was heavy for 3 days. Our church was having a REVIVAL meeting, and the pastor was preaching the gospel every night. My mother noticed I was being very quiet and troubled during those days. I was not sleeping well in fact I was so afraid I would die and not go to heaven. My mother talked with me and took me to visit the pastor. One night during the revival meeting during the singing the pastor asked if anyone would like to come and invite Jesus to come into their heart. I was so nervous, but I couldn’t wait any longer …I walked down to take the pastor’s hand and told him I wanted to believe in Jesus. I cried a lot of tears that night….my tears were my sorrow over my sin and immediately when I said YES to Jesus, I felt the most wonderful PEACE in all my life. I can still remember that moment so clearly. It was the first time I experienced the “peace that passes all understanding” I knew Jesus forgave me and I received Jesus into my life. The tears of sorrow over my sin became tears of joy over my salvation!
There was another time I want to share about that I shed tears that was very meaningful to me. We had been in Taiwan for about 2 years and my father passed away from cancer. It was the first time I experienced such a great loss of someone very dear to me. I could not return to America to attend the funeral. Our missionary friends had a service in their home to comfort me and Ron and our boys. They invited our Chinese Church friends and pastor. It was early in the morning, about 5 A.M., of course there were a lot of tears on that day. I expected I would cry, and I expected my missionary family would cry and it comforted me. But I was most moved by our Chinese Church brothers and sisters who came, and tears were coming down their face as they took my hand and expressed their grief with me. It was like they knew my father, but they didn’t. It was such a beautiful comfort to me to see their love. We had only been in Taiwan for 2 years and yet their love was so real and comforted me so much.
Sometimes our tears come in deep sadness, sometimes in overwhelming pressure and circumstances. Sometimes our tears come when other people cry. Sometimes our tears are happy tears. My mother told me that my daddy cried on that night I surrendered to Jesus. She also told me daddy cried on my wedding day. These were happy tears! I never saw my daddy shed those tears. He was very private. But I’m thankful my mother shared with me about daddy’s tears because it assured me of his deep love.
Tears can be such an expression of love! Great love! When we read today about Jesus shedding his tears, we are overwhelmed that God loves us so much. He is a God we can trust when we hurt, when we feel frustrated, overwhelmed. When we suffer, we can have God’s arms around us and our tears fall on His shoulder. Praise the Lord! When Jesus’ good friend Lazarus died, we see in our scripture that “Jesus wept.” This is the shortest bible verse in the bible. It is significant with only 2 words! Why did Jesus cry when he knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead? I think he was weeping because his friends were hurting. We can identify with Mary and Martha; we can see their hurt and grief! “IF ONLY YOU HAD BEEN HERE…Mary said.” Maybe by his tears he was saying, “I’m sorry I had to let you go through this.” It didn’t matter that the pain would soon be over. The pain of his friends mattered to him. Jesus hurts with us. Even though he knows better days are coming, He hurts with us today. Wherever we are… at home, at our desk, in our car, beside the hospital bed, standing in front of the tombstone. He weeps with us. Because our pain is real. That is LOVE. This is a God who loves us so much. We can trust Him no matter what we experience! Isn’t it amazing that our Creator created us with a way to express our emotions in such a tender way with tears coming from our eyes. Our tears speak words that cannot be said! They are another gift of God’s Grace to us.
What are we focused on when we face sorrow? Am I focused on what I feel God SHOULD have done differently? Or am I anchored by the truth of how very deeply he loves me and that He is with me? God’s tears remind us that God cares. He remembers every sorrow, every tear. When King David was going through a dark time, he said in Psalms 56:8, “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle (list my tears on your scroll) (or your wineskin …CHINESE TRANSLATION says put my tears in your leather bag). We don’t understand God’s ways sometimes, the things he allows but we should pray the Holy Spirit impresses on our heart to the deepest level that God loves us with an everlasting love. The Lord never intended for us to live in a broken world full of wars, suffering, and loss. In the story of Lazarus, we are caught up in what is about to happen and how Jesus is going to change everything… we might miss the middle part of this story. Jesus stops to weep with Mary and Martha. He knew he had the power to fix this. He knew what he was about to do but he took the time to stand near Mary and Martha and grieve with them. He met them in their grief. He also loved Lazarus dearly. Since he knew he was about to bring Lazarus back to life, there had to be more to his tears. He wept because those around him had great heartache. Some people say He wept over the brokenness in this world. Maybe He wept for the fall of creation, he wept over the heartbreak of death. It’s not supposed to be this way. We can only imagine this might be going through Jesus’ mind. There is going to be a day when Jesus comes back and restores everything. He will wipe away every tear from our face. He will make all things new again. He has loved us with an everlasting love and with lovingkindness he has drawn us to Himself! Amen! PRAISE THE LORD!
(Mrs. Elinda West’s sharing at 5:00 am early morning prayer on August 29, 2024)