Devotion: A Mighty King Weeps

By: Francis Banda

When we read the Gospel of Luke Chapter 19 we see five very interesting stories. In the first place is the conversion and saving of Zaccheus in Jericho (verses 1 -10), then we have the narrative of the pounds which the king entrusted his servants (verses 11-27). Christ the Lion of Judah rides a donkey in triumph into Jerusalem and then Laments over it (verses 28-44), and finally the casting out of traders in God’s temple (verses 45-48).

How many people have seen their father cry and thought that was a pleasant sight? How many have witnessed their idol in tears, or seen their leader; be it a chief, king, queen, or president cry and thought that was conduct befitting a leader?

Why is it significant to stress the point that we make a mighty king cry?

The greatest ambassador this world has ever seen came down from heaven. He never made public entries before but here He is riding on an ass and people-shouting Hosanna the son of David. He knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem and faced it head on. Remember Daniel in the Lion’s Den. He was terrified but God was with him and because the Hand of the Almighty God was upon him, found the strength he needed to go on.

It was the same case with the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew Jerusalem welcomed Him as their King but would soon reject Him; Christ knew He was making His bed in a nest of vipers and yet went on to prophecy His undying love for the city.

His love ran down His heavy eyes as He cried Oh Jerusalem, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hidden from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side,

And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Jesus was coming down Mount Olives and He had a perfect view of the city. His heart was filled with sorrow when he saw a city in ruins and in need of a savior. In that moment the Lord thought of the love he had for Jerusalem and knowing fully well of the cup he was about to drink from in a few hours or so, his heart was heavy. So heavy that he could not help but cry out Oh Jerusalem, if only you knew…?

A mighty king cried. We have heard of how Saul cried when an evil spirit tormented him. Saul was a great king in his days and mighty in his own right. Yet he was no match for the slayer of Goliath; David, A man after God’s own heart. David was a mighty man of valor and under his reign brought Israel many great victories. There is no disputing that God loved David so much that out of his bloodline was born the LION OF JUDAH.

David was not a saint but he tried with all his soul, strength, and might to seek after the kingdom of God. The Psalmist, a father to Absalom, his handsome son and Saul’s grandchild. Absalom sought to overthrow his father and usurp the throne of Israel. He was presumptuous and foolish to think that he could possibly achieve victory. He managed to win favor from the world but he did not win God’s heart.

Herein lies one of the greatest mysteries of this life. Often times as people, we try to impress the world with worldly things when we cannot possibly win it’s favor. The world is constantly changing and losing its grip on reality all the time; opinions and tastes are like shifting sand. We forget that though the world beneath us might change though all things might pass away, the word of God shall never pass away.

Absalom placed his faith in the wrong things and thus he only went thus far. His attempts to usurp authority from David his father ended in a shameful death. The world shall forever remember Absalom as a foolish son. David, on the other hand, wept for his son. The king of Israel tore his clothes and covered his head with dirt and ashes. The entire world saw the king at his most vulnerable state; the world witnessed an embarrassing ordeal when The King stepped down from his magnificent throne to cover himself with dirt and ashes.

David did not care who was going to judge him or who was looking at him humiliate himself in this way. He proved his love for his son, even when the boy rebelled, David begged his army to spare his life. If he was given a choice, David would have offered his own life to save his wayward child. A mighty king wept.

However, there is a king mightier than David. All the law and the prophets were unto him. There is no way to measure his undying love for us, he is simply the greatest phenomenon that has ever walked across the face of the earth and his name is JESUS CHRIST THE KING OF KINGS!

Christ knew he was not going to be respected in Jerusalem, he knew he was going to be betrayed, humiliated, and suffer many things before dying that shameful death on the cross. Yet he GOES DOWN into the city to suffer a great many things to save you and me. Oh what, greater love than this, that a man could lay down his life so that through his sacrifice, all men should be saved!

Jesus Christ left all his glory in Heaven, came down to this sinful world, and took this mortal form. He endured the same things that overwhelm us and suffered a great many things to save us. He died for us and purchased us with his precious blood. He did all this because he is perfect love and he loved us so much that he did not hesitate to be humiliated to save us.

Oh! if only you knew… you would have cried for yourself. Jesus is crying out to us today in the very manner he did for Jerusalem. The time

s are nigh and
his coming is around the corner. Christ said when you shall see these things, hunger, famine, droughts, wars, earthquakes, and floods, then you shall know that my coming is at hand. We have seen these things come to pass yet our lives do not reflect the nature and heart of Jesus Christ. We make the mighty king cry. He weeps for our souls when he sees us fall into sin again, and again, and again. Shall we continue to nail him on the cross? How long shall he weep for our souls? How long shall he bear the weight of our sin before we realize that we are going to perish like Absalom?