Causing Jesus to cry . . .missing the peace we seek

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes."  Luke 19:41-42

I wonder how many times Jesus weeps over us. 

Earlier today I heard that a very dear family member of mine is planning on moving.  My eyes immediately filled with tears.  I will miss them very much.  But more importantly I believe with all my heart that this is the wrong time for their moving.  I wept.

They are looking for peace.  They are looking for joy.  They think by rejecting the hard road ahead of them, the uncomfortable that they will find it in the familiar.  I know that I have done that before.  I have decided not to do the difficult, face myself and my fears, and do what seemed so much easier.

The Israrelites, Jesus's people were doing that then.  His way seemed so much harder.  How?  In that He was calling them to "true" religion.  Remember what He said to the woman at the well, the Samaritain woman:

"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jew . . ." John 4:22

The Jews would have been happy if He stopped there, but no, no, He had to go on:

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23

"Yet" . . . implies that even the Jews did not have it right and yet the time was then . . . then to worship the Father in a character that required more and was infinitely more intimate than the worship of the time; a complete change!  This was no mechanical tune-up this was a complete engine overhaul!  This was more than they were willing to do!

And yet it was EXACTLY what they were seeking.  And Jesus therefore wept.

 "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--"

What would bring you peace . . .

My relative is trying to flee what it is He is seeking.  He is fleeing what is required of Him thinking that in doing so he will find it elsewhere.  Like the Israelites, he is wrong.

And Jesus weeps.

He has done so over me many a time, I am sorry to say.  However, there is good news . . . well, . . . somewhat . . .

The transformation was still required.  The peace still came, but at a much higher cost.  They still had to accept it.  The Father still required that true worshipers worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  Jesus still is our peace.  What is required to grow and live is still what is required to grow and live.  We can not run from it no matter how hard we try.

My blood will find this out.  I hope and pray before he packs the first bag.  But whether it is before or after, he will still find it out.  The truth will still remain.

Until then, Jesus will weep.  He will be waiting to welcome Him.  When he is willing to come home.

Let's not be the cause of Jesus's tears . . .  Let's not miss out on the peace we seek.

Got Word?

Love yah,