What Makes Jesus Weep This Week?

This past Sunday I was in Luke 19, revisiting Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his death.

As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes . . . (terrible things are coming) . . . because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:41-44

Jesus wept 2,000 years ago because those he loved did not recognize him nor the peace he had to offer.
Jesus will weep again this week, looking at his church today. Looking at me.
He will weep every time we fail to see him, every instance we fail to trade our inner turmoil for his peace.
The tears are real, falling from a broken heart, but this is not the end of the story.
What will we do with our failure this week?
Where will I hang it?
Where will I hang my failure, my failed attempts at an ever growing, ever deepening intimacy and awareness of the One who calls me by name? Where will I hang all my failures, all my selfishness ways?
Where will you hang yours?
Imagine a hand-painted board with a necklace of rope. “Failure” it declares.
Where will you hang this sign?
Will you hang it:

• Around your neck?
• Around the neck of one you blame for your poor choices and destructive attitudes?
• Or will you hang it on the erected, blood stained cross that bore the body of our Savior?

When we hang our failure around our own neck, we find ourselves living with despair.
When we hang it on another person, we find ourselves distant, hardened and resentful.
When we dare to visit the foot of the cross and hang it on a nail, we will find ourselves at the Easter Morning empty tomb, wrapped in the love of Jesus.
We have a job to do this week.

• Hunger for the Presence of God.
• Anchor your heart to his peace.
• Make your way to the cross with every hand-painted sign that does not say “FORGIVEN!”

First time here?