WEEP NO MORE

₦Sermon 54

YOU SHALL WEEP NO MORE

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be more pain for the former things are passed away” —Rev. 21:4 KJV                                  

                                                     

                                   Texts: Rev. 21:1-5

Weeping entails the groaning of the inner being which may burst out to crying and shedding of painful and sorrowful tears. This comes to play when someone is emotionally distressed and frustrated because of the terrors, harrows and colossal tragedies that would beset a man. Basically, people at times weep for the death of their beloved ones. Also, they may weep as they are being subjected to temptation, persecutions, hardships and oppressive manipulations of the human instincts and spiritual impulses. But all these pains and sorrows shall be no more when Christ Jesus comes for the second time to harvest the world.

_ The book of Revelation is a prophetic book that tells or comforts the believers of what will come to pass as Christ returns. It also assures us to uphold the right relationship with our Lord so that the crown of life will be given to us.

Rachel, the daughter of Laban, the second wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin wept so bitterly for the death of her children (Jer. 31:15). She refused to be comforted. Thus, Jeremiah’s prophesy creates a mental picture of terror, horror, anguish, suffering and sorrows in the mind of avid readers. On one part, it is seen as a prophecy about the deportation of Israelites to exiled nation, Babylon. Thus, it becomes a symbolic experience of the sorrow and tragedy which the tribe of Jacob suffered. On the other point, the anguish cries of Rachel foreshadowed the murder of all the little male children of Bethlehem from two years old and under by Herod the great (Matt.2:16-18). Obviously, these little male children were murdered for the bloody quest of King Herod the great to kill Jesus Christ who was announced earlier to be the Messiah of Israel. Herod, the great did not desire for someone from the tribe of Bethlehem to be the king of the Israel. Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up was a small tribe that was been despised. No one in Israel thought about it as a place where the Messiah would come from. So, Nathanial made a ridicule of it when Philip called him to come and see Jesus, the promised Messiah. He retorted: “Can  there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”— John 1:46 KJV.

However, because of the massive slaughter of all the male children under two years old by Herod the Great, Christ comforted them with his love to rebuke his disciples who were stopping people from bringing their little children to Christ so that he would lay his hands on them and pray. He says: “Let the little children come to me and stop keeping them away because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these” —Matt. 19:13-14. Though, we would understand it when it’s said the Kingdom of God belongs to people like little children as little children’s hearts are free from evil, murder, stealing, hatred and all forms of impurity that would dominate the psych of adult. The little children, when they get misunderstanding with their age-mate at that same moment they would settle their indifferences and dispute but the adult would say their problems or indifferences would be settled in the grave. This possibly would be one of the reasons Christ says: “Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven— Matt. 18:3.

Do not bother; a time will come when you will see your beloved dead ones again. That time, no tears will be found in your eyes and sorrows and pains will not be your companions again because our God will wipe away them all. The new Heaven that God is making in your life shall come with good tiding of peace and eternal life. That time is when you’ll see people like Pharaoh and King Herod the Great— the murderers (those that wrecked your souls) being put to eternal perdition and destruction. You’ll see not the Egyptians again in your life. Cases of wars and death will not be heard again because the Alpha and Omega has said it that such promises of life without death are true and faithful— Rev. 21:5.

What are you weeping for? Do you have sorrows at heart and never think of having joy in your life again? Though, I have seen a lot of people weeping because of the way tragedies of life have struck them down, but the downfall of a man is not the end of his life. Therefore, have hope and trust God as far as there is life, despite the sorrows and pains you have been passing through in life, there’s still hope that your sadness will turn to joy. The scripture says: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning— Psalm 30:5. When God visits you, your night will be over. Night is a symbol of death, sorrow, pains and all sorts of suffering while morning symbolizes joy, life, happiness, peace and love of God. You see that Christ was crucified towards the evening time but resurrected at morning for us to rejoice because he has conquered death and the kingdom of darkness.

From the account of Luke 7:11-17, we see a distraught woman who has been weeping for the death of his only son. Perhaps, the husband died at their early married life leaving her with one son. A day came that this young boy, the only child of her mother died and a large crowd of people excruciatingly wailed for his death. The wailing of the multitude of people of that village of Nain would tell us that the family is a generous one. A family that cares for the poor and the down trodden ones and now Christ has heard their cries and decided to take his disciples there with a purpose to quell down the weeping. The scripture says when Christ saw this heartbroken woman wailing he was full of compassion and said “Weep not”— Luke 7:13. The same Jesus is saying to you today to weep not. The time Jesus Christ says “Weep not” probably it echoes in the mind of his disciples that this wailing woman’s case is over since the Alpha and Omega the God that holds life and death has spoken. And in other words, the crowd of the weepers might say that Jesus Christ is felicitating his own sympathy to the woman and nothing would be done again since the young boy has been confirmed death. Then, Christ approached the bearers of the coffin and touched the bier and said “You man I say unto thee, Arise and he that was dead sat up — Luke 7:14-15. This miraculous power of Jesus is so amazing. He uses his healing power to comfort those who are comfortless. I think, Christ on one part felt compassion to the family, because, the family had no son to outlive the father’s lineage and also the woman presumably wailed because there would be no body again to look after her at her old age. Whatever may be the prime aim of Christ restoring the dead boy to life may differ from one reader to another but what I know is: firstly, Christ restored the boy’s life because of his compassion he had for the wailing woman. It was the same compassion he had for his dying disciples when a tempest struck (Mark 6:34 ISV), the same compassion he had for the blind men and their eyes received sight, (Matt. 20:34 KJV) and also the compassion he had for the sick ones and they were made whole (Matt. 14:14 NET). Secondly, he restored the life of the dead boy back to him so that His father in heaven might be glorified. This is because after Christ has restored the boy back to life great fear swept the crowd and they glorified God thereby fulfilling the prime and pivotal aim of Christ having compassion to the wailing widow.

Though, I may not know what you have been passing through; the things that are causing you to weep, believe in God, your sorrows will be gone right from today. If what makes you sorrowful is that you have no child, believe in God, cases of childlessness will be a mere history in your life, you will one day stand before Kings and Queens to testify the goodness of God in your life for restoring your womb to fertility. God will see you through and you will have the cause to weep no more. Amen.

—————Meditation Point ——————

Lord Jesus, you said in Matt: 5:4 that blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted, come into my life and wipe away every tear of sorrow and death that has taken away the joy of my salvation. I believe   from today that my case of weeping is over in Jesus name —Amen.