Weeping for the Wrong Thing (Women Bewailing Christ)

“But Jesus turning to them said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.'” (Luke 23:28)

What are you sad over? I’d like to suggest it’s the wrong thing. Let me explain.

Jesus is journeying down the Via Dolorosa, that confined and narrow, stone path leading out of Jerusalem towards Golgotha, the place of the Skull, where He will be crucified. There is a large crowd following along, including many women. These ladies are “mourning” and “lamenting” our Lord. (Luke 23:27) They’re “grief-stricken” (NLT) over what’s taking place.

It’s a depth of sorrow that captures Christ’s attention and causes Him to stop and turn. (Luke 23:28) And beyond that to speak. He does it because of the depth of sorrow. He does it because the grief of these women is misdirected.

(And sometimes we get sad/concerned over certain things while we should really be sad/concerned for something else.)

The ladies are heartbroken. And who can blame them? This isn’t a good thing that’s happening (Christ being killed). None of us likes to see tragedy played out before our very eyes, especially when it’s an injustice.

And yet Jesus still stops in His tracks to speak to the ladies about what happens to be their misplaced grief. They ought to be grieving, but it ought not to be over Him.

He says, “[B]ut weep for yourselves and for your children.” (Luke 23:28c) He says it because there is impending disaster in the future for the Jewish people that the ladies are missing. The days ahead are so terrible and awful that the words in everyone’s mouth and on the tips of everyone’s tongue will be that it’s a good thing to have never had children. (Luke 23:29) The Romans will come in 70 A.D. to destroy the city with fire (Jerusalem) and Israel will be no more (for 1,900 years).

It is because of their rejection of the Messiah (the women have a front row seat watching it) that all these things will come upon them. (History records the events as happening just as Jesus said.)

And it’s these future events (future for the women in the story) that they should be grieving over. “Judgment day.” It’s coming for Israel. It’s coming! And that’s what our Lord tries to get the ladies’ eyes on and bewailing/lamenting. “[B]ut weep for yourselves and for your children.”

It is coming upon our planet, too. (Luke 23:30) Judgment day. Shout it from the rooftops! God is being rejected by the world. We don’t want Him! (Do you see that? Or are you blind, too?) And so the Lord will give us up to what we really want. A world without Him! We will have “hell on earth” by our own choosing. There is no good (peace, hope, joy, life, etc) apart from Christ. (Selah~pause to reflect)

So what are you concerned with (a slick car, a big house, lots of money, prestige, a name for yourself, treasures on earth) versus what should you be concerned with (a world that’s dying, the souls of lost men and women, the nearness of Christ’s return, treasures in heaven)?

Jesus, help us to not weep for the wrong thing! \o/ #HeIsRisen

(Picture above in the public domain: HERE.)