The Power of Tears

The Power of Tears
Jesus wept.

John 11 v 35

When we weep, we expose our vulnerability. It is a confession of child-like inability to handle a challenge. Why did Jesus who declared Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life weep on seeing Mary and the Jews with her weep? It was to show His humanity and His humility. The tears of Jesus was liquid prayer in the eyes of the Father. It released the Resurrection power and authority that rests in Him that enabled him to summon Lazarus from the land of the dead to the land of the living. The Jews thought that He wept out of His love and grief at the death of His friend Lazarus. They had no hope that He could call Lazarus back from death though they thought perhaps He could have healed him on his death bed. More things are wrought by tears than the world will ever know. It sets in motion the greatest miracles, obtains the most awesome relief and release from afflictions. One of the most effective routes to the very heart of the Lord is our lachrymal glands provided these are connected to our hearts. We need to be sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit. We need to be “sempathetic” or full of spiritual empathy by which we feel the pain of God as if it is our own.


We too should set aside times for weeping in our lives, times to lament like Jeremiah and cry out to the Lord, times to repent and be penitent, times to intercede and groan in the spirit. Our sincere tears move the very heart of the Lord. He will act to erase the cause of our tears. It should not be tears of fear, frustration, anger, depression but tears of faith, reverence, pleading and trust. The tears have a deep and powerful cleansing or purging effect on our souls and lives. The eloquence of tears is such that it can communicate what words cannot. We feel the agony that Jesus felt as He prayed on the Rock of Agony and shed great drops of sweat as His whole body wept. We experience a godly sorrow that will enable us to be diligent, wise, passionate, zealous. Godly sorrow is compassion. It is one of the rivers of life-giving water that should continually flow from our hearts and souls.


We should weep for the city and the country we live in. Weeping is the most earnest form of prayer. It is not a sign of weakness but a mustering of all of our inner faith and strength to make it bear on the mountain of a challenge that lies before us. We should weep for ourselves and our weaknesses. We should weep for our generations that they be redeemed and walk in faith. Blessed are those who weep for they shall be comforted. The Lord promises to comfort us. He will send us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. His word will speak to our souls and comfort us even as He comforted the two disciples who were grieving over the death of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. We should turn our fears into tears like King Hezekiah. God saw his tears and heard his prayer and healed him. He extended his life and reign by another 15 years. Like Hezekiah we should turn to the great wall- Jesus and weep. He will embrace us and take us under His arms like a hen takes its chicken under its wings. We will experience the protective love of a mother, the provident love of a father, the might of the King who rules kings, the comfort of a great and best friend. Tears melt the heart of Jesus and sets in motion the outworking of His grace, mercy and power in our lives.

Prateep V Philip