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Scripture Reading: Heb. 5:7
Today we are going to study a certain subject or, we may also say, a certain thing. Every man has these things, but he does not have them all the time. It is something often done but not done at all times. What are these things? They are tears. I wonder if you know the importance of tears. If a person is able to shed tears, it is a good sign. Someone who had very deep spiritual experiences once said, "If you give your love to someone who cannot shed tears, you might as well ask a pickpocket to keep your purse for you." This is a true statement. If you give your love to someone who cannot shed tears, you will be as disappointed as if you asked a pickpocket to keep your purse for you. Tears are something that the world cannot do without. Anyone who cannot shed tears has lost his characteristic as a man and cannot be counted as a man.
I do not like to see men who are so proud that they consider shedding tears to be something that men should not do. Some even consider that it is a sign of courage not to shed tears. Some think that by not shedding tears, they appear to be better and more outstanding than others. I am afraid that this is not at all true! I would say rather that a dry eye indicates that there is a dry and hardened heart within such persons. It tells us that the heart is defiant, has no feeling, and is numb like wood and stone. Many times shedding tears reveals a person's heart. Nothing reveals what is in the heart as much as tears do. Therefore, tears are the outlet of the heart.
How do we know this? Suppose I am extremely sad today; I cannot sigh, talk, eat, sleep, or work. What should I do in order to alleviate my sorrow? Suppose you go to ask a physician if he has a cure for someone who is so sorrowful. If he understands psychology, he would say that such a one should have his best friend over for a heart-to-heart talk or for a few good jokes so that he can let out his frustrations. Perhaps he should visit a scenic place, take a walk in a grassy meadow, or listen to music that will cheer him up and cause him to forget whatever has made him sorrowful. But none of these things will work. If the doctor is experienced in human life, he would say, "Let him cry his heart out and everything will be solved." Whenever you are heavily pressed within and unable to be relieved, a few tears will vent your frustration and the whole thing will be over. It is quite amazing that something within your heart must come out through your eyes, as though the eyes are the outlet of the heart. Once the tears are shed, the heart is opened.
I remember that there was once a person with a physical handicap. He was quite angry about the defect in his body. Nothing seemed to please him, and he wanted to end his life. For seven years anger burned constantly within him like a flame. One day he went to a great concert. The whole audience thought the concert was marvelous, and their souls were all carried away into a rapturous and soothing ecstasy. But what did this one do? He shed a few tears. Someone asked him, "Was not today's music beautiful? Why did you shed tears?" He replied, "Before the concert I was bored and very, very sad. But after listening to the music and shedding some tears, everything is all right." The music punctured a hole in his heart so that the tears were able to flow out. Originally, depression locked up his heart. When the tears flowed out, his depression was washed away with the tears. The human side of his nature was expressed. In the beginning, his nature was bound and locked up by his depression; but now it was released by tears. The shedding of tears shows a man that he still has his human nature within. Through tears, a man is made human. Some people consider tears to be a sign of weakness. No! On the contrary, the inability to shed tears means that a man lacks humanity or has buried his humanity.
Tears are the common portion of men on earth. For this reason, our Lord also shed tears. Though the Bible records His joy, it never records His laughter. On the contrary, it records His tears. In Hebrews 5:7 we see that the Lord's tears are plural. This shows us that He often shed tears. Isaiah 53 also says that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Tears are very precious because only tears can wash man's eyes and make them clean. There is so much dust, dirt, and filth on this earth. These things are ready at any moment to invade your eyes. Fortunately, there are always tears to wash your eyes and give you clear eyesight. If the eyes did not have tears, I am afraid that no one could see anything through his eyes.
Tears have a cleansing function, not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual realm. A few more tears allow a person to see a little more clearly. Without tears our spiritual eyes will lose their function. Once Mr. Panton spoke to a young couple, "Although you are so good, you lack one thing. If you could do this thing, you would be perfect. You should pray for the Lord's soon return." That evening the husband told his wife, "This time we must listen to the word of this old gentleman. Tonight we must pray for this matter thoroughly." The husband prayed faithfully and hoped that his wife would pray after him. But she would not because she confidently said within herself, "I have a wonderful family. Our marriage relationship is harmonious and happy. Our living is quite pleasant, and our house is quite comfortable. Everything is wonderful. Why should I ask the Lord to come back soon? Let us not be in a rush." This continued for seven months until suddenly her husband died. Later on when she saw Mr. Panton, she held his hand and told him tearfully, "After seven months, I have been asking the Lord to come back soon every day." Tears had washed her eyes so that she was able to see clearly.
If you study biology, you will find out that the eyes are like a pair of glasses. They need to be cleaned and washed often, or else they will not be transparent. Every time the eyelids are closed, tears flow out to wash the eyes. Similarly, in the spiritual world, the spiritual eyes of those who do not shed tears must not have been washed. Therefore, they cannot see clearly. It is no wonder that those who have never been wounded, afflicted, or have never encountered anything that was heart-breaking, distressful, or depressing to their spirit are ignorant and unclear about many things.
Once the parents of a child were quite good and quite zealous for the Lord. They did a great deal of good work for the Lord. But after a short time, the child whom they dearly loved died. They became very angry and said, "From now on we will not serve God any longer. Although we have served Him faithfully, He not only did not favor us with His grace, but He allowed our child to die." They were quite upset. From then on they became indifferent; they were no longer zealous and no longer pursued the Lord in a serious way. One day after eight or nine years, the father was walking in the wilderness. He saw a shepherd trying to lead a flock of sheep across a little creek. In the country side there are usually no sturdy bridges over the little creeks. In this case, a little wooden plank over the creek served as a bridge. It was adequate for people to walk across but very difficult to convince the sheep to walk across. Sheep are very timid and unsophisticated. No matter how much the shepherd goaded and coerced them, they would not cross it. Finally, out of desperation, the shepherd picked up a little lamb who was not weaned and precious to the mother sheep. He carried him across to the other side. The mother sheep, out of love for her little lamb, took the risk and followed the shepherd across. Soon after, all the lamb's brothers and sisters followed and crossed to the other side of the creek. The father, who was observing this, said, "It is enough!" From then on, he was revived. Later he testified, "Because God was afraid that I would be left on this side of the creek and would not go across, He took my child over first. Even the dumb sheep knew to follow the others across. Why then am I still tarrying here?"
Many times tears bring men closer to God. If a person has only passed through smooth and peaceful pathways and has never suffered the deprivation of wind, sleet, frost, and blizzard, he can never advance to become a deeper person. If he is willing to be a Christian only in peaceful times and unwilling to be one in days of tears, he is merely a mediocre person with little experience. Today many people will not believe because they have never suffered pain. Yes, if someone in the world fills his days with laughter, eating, and drinking, he can do just fine if no extraordinary events occur. However, anyone who cannot shed tears will not be able to see the light. No wonder they are still in their stupor, drunken with the worldly wine, and have not yet received salvation. Christians have also hardened their hearts and are unwilling to wipe their eyes with tears. No wonder they are so dull in spiritual matters.
Let us study the Bible and see what it says about tears and how we should deal with them. We do not need to rejoice or laugh. Rather, we need to mourn and weep because today is the time for weeping. This world is a place for weeping. Let me say again that people who put their tears aside are unenlightened. They do not know their place on earth. Oh, whoever cannot shed tears has lost their characteristic as a man. Indeed, the shedding of tears is the real meaning to human life. Let us see what the Lord would like us to be. In the entire Bible, there are only a few dozen references to tears. Today we do not need to read all of these verses; it is sufficient just to read several of them. What we are about to speak today can be summarized in several points: the meaning of tears, the relationship between tears and the repentance of sinners, and the relationship between tears and the prayer and work of the believers. At the end we will see what God does with our tears.
At times, extreme joy can bring about tears. However, in general, tears result from excessive sorrow, when too much psychological pressure is applied to our being. In other words, when sorrow and depression within us become unbearable and the heart becomes overburdened and uncontrollable, tears flow out. Yet the amazing thing is that when our tears flow out, all the heavy burdens within suddenly become light. Originally everything was tense, but now things become relaxed. It seems that something has come out of us through the tears. Originally there were many things within; now there are fewer things within. Formerly it seemed as if we were inflated with air; now much of the air has been let out. Therefore, tears are very meaningful. They discharge whatever is in the heart. In other words, tears are the outlet of the heart. Now let us consider what the Bible has to say about this.
Job 16:20 says, "My friends scorn me:/but mine eye poureth out tears unto God." Job said this after he was stricken by Satan and ridiculed by his three friends. Brothers, have you experienced pouring out tears unto God while being ridiculed and oppressed by men? How many times have you been opposed by men? Have you ever suffered loss and borne a false charge? When you encountered these kinds of things, have you ever wept like Job did? Of course, weeping before men is a manifestation of your weakness, but a person ought to shed tears unto God. I have often said that whoever has shed tears before God is blessed. On the other hand, whoever has never shed tears before God does not know the meaning of fellowship. Neither does he know about being close to God or casting his burden on the Lord. A friend of mine once told me something regarding tears. He said, "When all your ways are blocked, when you are opposed in every place, when everyone says you are wrong, and when the environment vexes you, drop a few tears before God. This is your only way out. Only this will enable you to solve the problem." This statement is true. Whoever has passed through the same experience would say the same thing. These are unavoidable experiences, and every believer must pass through them. If you want to serve God faithfully and live in a godly way, things of this kind will surely happen to you, and tears will surely flow. There has never been a faithful one who has not shed tears. Brothers and sisters, how about you? If you have ever brought your problems or joys to God, I advise you to bring your tears to Him as well.
Psalm 6:6 says, "I cause my bed to swim all night long; / With my tears I dissolve my couch." At that time David was in the midst of adversity. Furthermore, his body was not strong. Therefore, he wept every night; his couch was wet, and his bed was made to swim. Let me say something that is not pleasing to the ears: whoever can only laugh but cannot weep, is a very shallow person. Whoever laughs all day long shows that within him he does not have much depth. Those who have never wept have never passed through God's digging hands. Tears indicate that a person has something within him. They show others that there is God's work within such a person. However, God does not treasure our tears that are shed in public, tears that others can see. He treasures the tears shed in secret, tears that are shed for Him. Proper and precious tears are tears "unto God," tears shed at night. We know that David was a person who knew how to cry very well. Psalms tells us that he wept many times. Whenever he sinned or encountered adversity, he would shed his tears before God. But Saul was not such a person. He could only become angry and vexed; he could not weep.
Tears are a sign of sadness. Sadness touches others' feeling, whereas laughter cannot touch others very deeply. Laughter is something on the surface, whereas grief comes from within. Since grief comes from a person's inner being, it must also enter into the inner being of others. All who have experience in human life acknowledge this. The shedding of tears is a sign of a broken heart. Therefore, before tears can flow from the eyes, they must first flow from the heart. It is meaningless to shed tears when the heart is not pained.
The reason David was led by God to such deep and full experiences was that he shed tears. The many tears that he shed reveal the many sufferings and adversities that he bore. Many lessons are learned from suffering. As Romans says, "Tribulation produces endurance" (5:3). Let us remember that David became David because of his tears. If there had been no tears to cultivate him, he could not have been any deeper than others were.
When the Israelites were carried away to a heathen land, the people ridiculed them, saying, "What do you have left? The temple of your God is ruined, and your nation has vanished. Where is your God? What has happened to you?" Under this kind of situation the sons of Korah wrote the psalm: "My tears have been my food/Day and night,/While they say to me all day long,/Where is your God?" (Psa. 42:3). At that time it was very painful for them. People were pricking them with sharp words that were hard to bear. They could not help but shed their tears unto God. Men like to prick those whom they hate. It is their joy to afflict them and cause them to suffer. In the same way, the enemy of the children of Israel came to prick them, scorn them, ridicule them, and cause them pain. At such a time, they could only shed tears. Even though that was the case, later on we shall see that God will take care of those tears.
Ecclesiastes 4:1 says, "So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter." Tears are shed when a person hears unpleasant words from others, when he encounters suffering and oppression that produce sorrow and anger, and when this sorrow and anger continue to press upon him until he can withstand them no more. As such times, the tears flow out.
Lamentations 1:2 says, "Bitterly she weeps in the night, / And her tears are on her cheeks./There is no one to comfort her/Among all her lovers;/All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;/They have become her enemies." Lamentations was written by Jeremiah. It speaks of the situation after the children of Israel were carried away into captivity. This verse shows us that the children of Israel wept because they were dealt with treacherously.
From all the foregoing verses, we can see that tears are shed through others' oppression, treachery, ridicule, and other adverse situations. Therefore, the shedding of tears is an indication of pressure and pain. All these things must have happened to our Lord. Otherwise, why did He weep and shed tears? His shedding of tears tells us that He also suffered all these things. The shedding of tears is not something negative; rather, it is holy.
In this world a tearful face is better than a smiling face. It is fortunate that a few tears are shed to wash this adulterous and sinful world! If there were no tears, I am afraid that the world would be even more evil. It is fortunate that in this blind and crooked generation there are a few streams of warm tears; they tell us that men still have some feelings. If there were no such tears, I fear that the world would become like a deep pit; its darkness would be worse than hell. Today on this earth there are still many beautiful flowers. If there were no tears to cultivate them, they would all have withered. If it were not for the tears that maintain relationships between parents, husbands and wives, brothers, relatives, and friends, the world would immediately resemble the situation in the great tribulation. We know that Antichrist is coming. Fortunately, there are tears to hold him back. Otherwise, the pain would be even more severe, and sin would be even more rampant. Therefore, tears are the real meaning of human life. They show that a person still bears his human nature and still has the sense of sin. Wherever sin is, tears must also be present. Heart-breaking experiences, sorrowful events, and recollections of the past can all cause us to shed tears. The reason many people cannot shed tears is that they have forgotten their past history, they have left paradise and do not know where they are today. The same applies to man's experience of God's redemption; without the shedding of tears, man cannot return to the beginning. Anyone who has forgotten what he has passed through cannot shed tears. The shedding of tears is an indication that a person feels pain concerning his past.
Tears are not something that a person can control. If you can shed tears whenever you want to, those tears lose their meaning and value. Any tears that are not shed because of anguish in the heart are meaningless and fabricated. Although tears are involuntary, everyone has tears and sheds tears. If you say that you have never shed any tears, you must be a heartless person and cannot possibly be a Christian.
Let me now say a few words to the unbelieving friends. Do you know that tears can bring a person to the Lord Jesus and draw a person closer to the God in heaven? Tears remove the obstacles and replace sin with repentance. Friends! Do you know sin? Do you know the significance of sin? Have you ever repented of your sins to the point that you shed your tears? If you have never felt sorrowful for your sins, I wonder whether or not you have a heart. If a person has never shed tears for his sins, he has a heart of stone; he does not have any emotions or feelings. The way your heart feels about sin is expressed in your eyes. Oh, sin is real! I do not need to mention your sins before God. I only need to mention some of your sins before men and it will become obvious to you. Please consider how much you have offended others. You have owed, cheated, and taken advantage of those whom you know, such as your parents, wife, brothers, relatives, friends, classmates, and colleagues. You may have things that are not clearly dealt with and accounts that are not clearly settled yet. All these are sins. If you do not deal with them, you cannot draw near to God. This is a most serious matter. Do you know how serious sin is? You have sinned and even now are filled with sin. These many sins will bring you to the abyss. Friends! Repent! Turn! Wash yourselves with your tears! Only the blood can wash you. But that is only the first thing that washes you. There is still the second thing, which is your tears. In other words, sin is washed away before God by the blood, but it is washed away in your heart by tears. One thing is sure: before God, tears can never wash one's sins away; only the Lord's blood can wash one's sins away. But the blood calls for tears also. One has to add the tears to the blood. Even if there is the Lord's redemption, without man's repentance and hatred for sin, there is no washing. Therefore, if you want to have the subjective experience, tears are indispensable. Consider what the men of ancient times did.
Lamentations 2:18 says, "Their heart cried to the Lord:/ O wall of the daughter of Zion,/Let tears run down like a strea/Day and night;/Give yourself no respite;/Let not the pupil of your eye cease." Why did the Israelites weep so much? They wept in repentance for their sins, for the captivity of Zion, the occupation of Jerusalem, and the carrying away of the Israelites to the east of the river Euphrates. At such hopeless times, they wept for their sins and for the destruction of their nation and temple. I deeply hope that more tears will come from you, and that they will flow out as a river day and night.
Unbelieving friends, I wish that you would weep! All those who smile at sin do not know sin. Neither do they know their destiny. All those who have never shed tears do not know the love of God and the preciousness of Christ. All those who never weep for their sins do not know the joy of forsaking sins. Tears for our sins are something indispensable. Have you offended anyone? Have you stolen from others? Do you have pride, jealousy, or anger? Indeed, you have sinned against God in many areas, and you have also sinned against man. The only thing that will solve the problems is tears. However, if a person only sheds tears outwardly without feeling remorse in his heart, it is useless. Therefore, tears are not merely something outward. The source of tears is the heart. Only that which issues from the heart and feeling can touch others.
The New Testament makes it more clear that tears are for the repentance of sins. Please read Luke 7:38: "And she stood behind Him at His feet weeping and began to wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, and she kissed His feet affectionately and anointed them with the ointment." Then verse 44 says, "But she, with her tears, has wet My feet and with her hair has wiped them." Friends, have you seen tears of this kind? There are many kinds of tears in this world. Some are shed over disappointment; others are shed over anxiety. Some are shed as a result of extreme joy (though rare); others are shed because the environment is too harsh and painful. Sometimes they come from extreme hatred, at other times from anger or arguments. There are all kinds of reasons for tears. But have you seen the kind of tears that this woman had, tears that were shed as a result of extreme sorrow for her own sin?
The Lord's blood cleanses all of man's sins. But if tears are not added to the blood, it will not be effective in man. Once Alexander received a letter from another person accusing his mother of all her sins, listing the numerous sinful things that his mother had done. The intention of the letter was to condemn Alexander's mother. But in Alexander's reply, there was only one sentence, "My mother's tears have washed away all her sins," and the matter was put to rest.
No matter how many tears you shed, nothing can wash away your sins before God. But there is another aspect that is just as real. Although Jesus Christ has died, the effectiveness of the blood will not be realized in us unless there are tears. No one can receive the Lord and be saved if he has never repented and shed tears for his sins. This can never happen. Every true believer of the Lord has had the experience of repentance. I have a friend who once said that there are two medicines to deal with sin. One is the blood of the Lord, and the other is our own tears. This may sound strange, but it is true. Indeed, no one who puts his trust in the blood is without tears. This is what the types in the Old Testament tell us also. Those who did not remove the leaven were not able to keep the feast of Passover. Those who did not eat the unleavened bread could not partake of the lamb. As much as the blood is a most important thing, there is the need for warm tears of repentance also. Otherwise, the matter is not over. We must have the Lord's blood in our hands, and we must add onto that a few teardrops. The tears have to be mingled with the blood. If a man has never felt sorry for his past sins, he can never be saved.
We are not speaking about the function of tears with respect to our salvation today. Therefore, we will not elaborate on this. Now we want to consider what tears mean to our brothers and sisters, those who are saved among us. In the story of the woman, she wiped the Lord's feet with her tears. When we come to the Lord, although we may not have very much money to buy ointment to anoint His head and His feet, we can offer to Him our tears. Thank the Lord! The ointment is good, but the tears are better. It is better to come to the Lord with tears than to come to Him without tears. Let us all bring the tears in our eyes to Him! Now let us consider what the Bible teaches about the ways believers should use their tears.
Psalm 39:12 says, "Hear my prayer, O Jehovah;/And hearken to my cry;/Do not hold Your peace at my tears./ For I am a stranger with You,/A sojourner, as all my fathers were." The best way to receive God's answer to our prayer is to pray with tears before Him. If our prayers are seasoned with tears, they will be answered much sooner. Many prayers are heartless prayers because there are no tears in them. A person can only have tears when his heart is there. We can tell the Lord that we are not here for long, that we are only sojourners and strangers, and that we have suffered long enough on this earth. Based on this, we can ask Him to hear our prayers. God will answer our prayers this way. Although the tears themselves score no merit, they nevertheless show what is in our heart; they show that we have an earnest heart. May we have more tears in our prayers, so that God would answer us.
Second Kings 20:5-6 says, "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold,...I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." How wonderful it is that God sees our tears. Hezekiah prayed for his longevity with tears, and God answered. This means that God is pleased with our tearful prayers. Our tearful prayers can move God's heart. Anything that does not move our heart to tears will surely not move God's heart. It does not hurt if we shed more tears before God. Shedding tears before man is a sign of weakness and speaks of our lack of manliness. But being unable to shed tears before God is an indication that we have become just a piece of stone and wood, and that we are insensitive. I treasure very much the words of 2 Kings 20:5: "I have seen thy tears." Every time we encounter difficulties, sufferings, and pressure, and every time we come to the end of ourselves, we can lift up our heads and shed our tears before Him. God sees our tears. However, if the tears are not before Him, they are useless. There are many people who weep in this world. Men's tears only show their own sorrows and sufferings; they do not affect anything. Tears must be accompanied by prayers. Every time we weep, suffer, and feel sorrowful, we should also pray. We can tell God our sufferings and sorrows through our prayer. The Bible not only shows us that Hezekiah prayed this way, but our Lord also petitioned and supplicated with strong crying and tears (Heb. 5:7).
Many times it is useless for two persons to cry to each other. But it is useful to cry to God, because God sees our tears and will answer our prayers. Indeed, God counts every drop of our tears. Psalm 56:8 says, "You have counted my wanderings./Put my tears into Your bottle./Are they not in Your book?" Please remember the benefit of shedding tears before God. Sorrowful men! If we are embittered by human life and are pressed beyond measure, if we have lost our taste for life, if we are weary of struggling and cannot get through with all of our problems, simply go to God and cry. Be assured that it will not be in vain. God records every tear that we shed and puts them in a bottle. This means that God preserves all our experiences of sufferings like keeping tears in a bottle. Thank the Lord that our tears have not fallen to the ground and been lost in the dust; they are preserved in God's bottle. "Are they not in Your book?" This shows that God does not forget. He preserves and remembers.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what kind of crying is most enjoyable and refreshing? When does a child cry most loudly and vigorously? It is not when he is chastised, nor when he is hungry, but when he is bullied by others outside the house and has suffered injustice or frustration. When he returns home and cries to his dear mother, the crying is very unrestricted; he can surely have a good cry before her. The crying that is done before one's loved one is the most releasing kind of crying. It is not very meaningful to cry before other men, and the tears do not count for much. Where then should we go to cry and when should we cry? We cry before God, the One who loves us and cares for us the most. With God we can cry until our heart is fully relieved because He cares for us. Our crying to God is most enjoyable because God listens carefully to us. Another reason that we can cry unreservedly is that He will do according to what we ask of Him. Indeed, if we will do this before God, we will see some most wonderful results.
Let us read the story of a father and his son, and we will understand immediately the profit of praying with tears before God. Mark 9:24 says, "Immediately, crying out, the father of the child said, I believe; help my unbelief!" At that time, it was too painful for him. He hated the fact that he could not believe, or that his faith was not enough. On one hand, he saw his child in pain and could not make him better in spite of all that he had done. On the other hand, he sought for the help of the Lord's disciples, and they were unable to do anything. He was indeed frustrated. Under such anxiety and pain, he could not contain himself; he had to cry and call on the Lord. What was the result? The Lord heard his prayer, and the child was healed. There is a reason for many prayers not being answered. It is because there are no tears.
Second Timothy 1:3-4 says, "Unceasingly I have remembrance concerning you in my petitions night and day, longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy." Why did Paul want to see Timothy? It was because of Timothy's tears. All the workers of the Lord in the Bible are men of tears. We believe that no proper worker of the Lord can be without tears. It seems that tears are the one necessary thing that a worker must have. All proper prayers should be with tears. This will cause God to remember us and answer us.
Now let us consider the relationship of tears to the Lord's work and their place in His work.
Jeremiah 9:1 says, "Oh, that my head were waters,/And my eye a fountain of tears,/That I might weep day and night /For the slain of the daughter of my people!" Jeremiah could really weep. Everyone calls him a weeping prophet. Read verse 18: "Let them hasten and take up a wailing for us,/That our eyes may shed tears/And our eyelids may pour forth water." Verse 17 of chapter thirteen says, "And if you will not hear it,/My soul will weep in secret places for your pride;/And my eye will weep bitterly and shed tears,/ Because the flock of Jehovah has been taken captive." If men did not listen to the word of the Lord, Jeremiah would weep. Verse 17 of chapter fourteen says, "And you shall speak this word to them,/Let my eyes run down with tears/Night and day, and let them not cease;/For the virgin daughter of my people is broken with great brokenness,/A very grievous wound." He cried because the Israelites suffered a blow. No proper worker of the Lord can be without tears. All those who do not weep for their work have no heart for their work. All those who have a heart for their work cannot help weeping. Many times when we try to deal with someone and exhaust all means, there is no result. Yet there is still one thing we can do: we can weep. Sometimes when no persuasion works, tears become the last persuasion. Sometimes in warfare we exhaust all weapons, and there is still no victory. Tears can be the last weapon. Men may resist other weapons, but they have to surrender before the tears.
There is no lover of the Lord who does not cry. We should ache for sinners to the point of weeping for them. We should weep because God's glory is challenged, and we should weep in anguish that the enemy is not yet bound. Those who have no desire to please the Lord do not have this kind of experience. All those whose hearts are in the Lord's work surely weep. Jeremiah was a prophet who was greatly used by the Lord. He was such because of his tears. He was anxious and felt responsible for God's children, and he wept for them day and night. Tears are indispensable. This world needs more tears to wash it. Many young believers need tears to nurture them and educate them. Our spiritual life is maintained by tears. Many sinners are waiting for our sowing work with tears. Without tears, none of these works can be carried out. Today, men's consecrations are too inadequate. Many have consecrated their bodies, their energy, their time, and their money, but they have not consecrated their tears. No wonder many works are not complete and many believers are not properly edified.
If we weep for the work, what will be the result? I can assure you that tears cannot flow on forever; there will surely be a time when they will stop. Read Jeremiah 31:16: "Thus says Jehovah,/Hold back your voice from weeping,/And your eyes from tears;/For there is a reward for your work, declares Jehovah;/And they will return from the land of the enemy." If we truly weep for the work, God will reward us.
Tears are necessary not only in God's work but in our family life also. We can see this from the way a mother deals with her son. We have never seen a good mother who is anxious for her son but never weeps for him. This is true even among Christians. The tears that a mother sheds for her son are most effective. The return of prodigal sons is many times due to the tears of their mothers. No matter how fallen a son is, and how far he has strayed away from home, as long as he has a good mother who cries for him at home, sooner or later the prodigal son will be brought back by his mother's tears. It is useless to watch one's son turning wayward, and to fret, shout, and even beat him, without weeping. If a mother has all the virtues but lacks tears, she cannot be considered a good mother. The same is true in dealing with sinners and young believers. It is good and profitable that you visit them, help them, and read the Bible to them. But one thing is indispensable. You have to have the prayer of Jeremiah, who said, "Oh, that my head were waters, / And my eye a fountain of tears" (Jer. 9:1). Otherwise, your work will not be complete. Many workers of the Lord ask God for eloquence, power, knowledge, and opportunities. All of these are good. But one thing is indispensable in the Lord's work, which is to have our eyes "shed tears" (v. 18).
Not only are there examples in the Old Testament, but there are examples in the New Testament as well. Read Acts 20:19: "Serving the Lord as a slave with all humility and tears." Verse 31 says, "Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease admonishing each one with tears." How did Paul serve the Lord? He served in all humility and by shedding tears night and day. Tears are a good way to work. I say again, no one can be complete without tears. A person may be good at many things, but if he does not weep, he cannot be considered as complete. In serving the Lord, we must have tears, both before the Lord and before men. Of course, such tears cannot be fabricated. They must flow spontaneously out of our deep feelings.
Paul said that for three years he was in tears for them night and day. Have you shed tears this way for your work? All we have to ask a person is whether or not he has shed tears to find out whether or not he is zealous, if he is single for his work, and if his heart of service is complete. I must say honestly that without tears no work can become prosperous. If we do not do this one thing in secret, the progress of our work will be hindered.
Second Corinthians 2:4 says, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not that you would be made sorrowful but that you would know the love which I have more abundantly toward you." We know that Paul wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians when he heard from the household of Chloe about the condition of the Corinthian believers. Paul pointed out all their mistakes and rebuked them with the most severe and frank word. Now in the second Epistle he told them how he wrote the first Epistle. He said that he did it out of much affliction and anguish of heart and through many tears.
Brothers and sisters, when you hear of a brother or a sister backsliding, would you weep like Paul did? Weeping is not easy. Both laughing and weeping require strength. Brothers, do you have the strength to weep? You saw how severe Paul's words to the Corinthians were; they were like sharp knives. He said in one place that they should drive out the sinner or else he would do something. Such words are indeed hard to take. One thing is sure: if you want your words to pierce others, they must first pierce you. If they have never pierced you, they can never pierce others. Paul was indeed such a person. While he was writing the strongest words in the first Epistle, he was doing it in tears. Before he spoke, and before others felt the pain, he felt the pain. Therefore, if you want others to feel the pain, you must first feel the pain. It will never work if you only want others to be sorrowful. For this reason, every worker of the Lord must be experienced in the matter of tears. In other words, all those who do not shed tears when they see their brothers falling and failing are not worthy to do the Lord's work, and they are not qualified to rebuke or exhort others. If you want to rebuke a brother, or if you want to tell him about something that he has done wrong, you must first feel the pain and the sharpness of the words before you are qualified to rebuke. It is easy to point out others' shortcomings, but it is difficult to say it with tears. However, only those who have tears are qualified to speak.
Thank the Lord that the blood of His Son was shed on earth and was not retracted. Man can receive salvation through this blood. Thank the Lord that the tears of His Son were also not retracted. They tell us that He is mindful of us, and they also induce us to shed tears before God and before men. May we imitate our Lord in our prayers and in our work, and may we shed more tears!
Psalm 126:5-6 says, "They that sow in tears/shall reap in joy./He that goeth forth and weepeth,/bearing precious seed,/shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,/bringing his sheaves with him." Do you want to testify for the Lord? This verse tells you how to do it. The seed is the gospel, and the sheaves are the salvation of men. If you sow the seed, you have to water it with tears before it will grow. Without water, seeds will not grow. Do not think that it is easy to bear fruit; you cannot succeed unless there are tears. Here it says that if you shed tears before God in secret, you will bring in the sheaves with joy. Many times you consider the preaching of the gospel as something common. No wonder there is no sprouting and harvesting. Tears are most crucial to your work. Any work that lacks tears is doomed to fail. Tears speak of your heart. Where your tears are, there your heart is also. This is a fact. It is dangerous to work without your heart being put into it. May we be zealous for God's work, and may we have definite tears.
Now let us consider what God does with our tears. Psalm 56:8 says, "You have counted my wanderings./Put my tears into Your bottle./Are they not in Your book?" From this we see that God remembers and counts our tears. God has not forgotten one drop of our tears.
Psalm 80:5 says, "You have fed them with the bread of tears/And have made them drink tears in large measure." Psalm 116:8 says, "For thou hast delivered my soul from death,/mine eyes from tears,/and my feet from falling." These two verses show us that God seems to give us tears as our food and drink, that we should eat and drink of them. Oh, we should live our days on earth in tears, and we should have tears as our companions. This world is a place of tears. Almost every patch of earth has been soaked with tears; hardly one place is dry. Here everything gives us heartaches, and every circumstance causes pain to our hearts. There is no peace on this earth. In spite of this, He will deliver our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling. That day will come. We will not be in this tearful world forever.
Revelation 7:17 says, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." The group mentioned here is the church. God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of all the believers on earth. This is the Lord's promise during the great tribulation and before the millennium.
After the millennium, the Lord promises another group of people, saying, "And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death will be no more, nor will there be sorrow or crying or pain anymore; for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4). This group of people are those who will be the citizens in the millennium. This means that all the saved ones, whether they are the church, the Jews, or the Gentiles, will have the Lord's promise: "God will wipe away every tear."
I love the New Jerusalem, not for its street of gold and gates of pearl, but for the Lord's presence. There will be no tears there. When we die, we are not going into sorrow, but resting. When a person is tired from walking, he goes away to sleep for a while. Everyone is waiting for that day to come. We are not waiting to die. Some have rested today. If the Lord delays His coming, some will rest for thirty years or fifty years. Some, like Paul, will have to rest for two thousand years before that day will come. Thank the Lord, we can cease from our tears when that day comes and the world passes away.
The Lord bore our sufferings so that we would not have to suffer anymore. Thank the Lord that there will be no more sorrow and no more sin there. Trouble, suffering, and tears come from sin. Because there will be no more sin there, there will be no more tears forever. Thank God that the days of sorrow and the things of sorrow will not last. The New Jerusalem is coming soon, and the tearful world will soon pass away. When we arrive there, all the sufferings will be gone because when sin is removed, sufferings will be removed also.
In that day the Lord will give us a resurrected body. One brother in the Lord said that to him that body will be the same as the body we have today, that is, all the members will be there, and everything will be the same except that they will all be transformed. However, in the transformed body, one thing will be missing — tears in the eyes. Tears belong to the night, and there will be no need of them any longer.
Thank God that we are blessed, for the earthen vessel will not be working and praying here all the time. But while we are still here on earth, we are satisfied in God. Yet this will not be long either. Oh, that day will come. I hope that day will come quickly.
Finally, I will close my message with a story. At the end of the European War, casualties were great on both the French and the German sides. Many were seriously wounded on the battlefield and were dying. Among them one wounded French soldier who was a Christian held up a bottle of water to a German soldier who also was a Christian. At that time, both were dying. After they drank the water, the French soldier held the hand of the German soldier and said, "In that place, there will be no war." At that word, both turned over and died. Oh! Let us also say here today, "In that place, there will be no more tears."
