Wiping Away Tears

 Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-5a

 It was hard choosing which two Lectionary readings to write on this week. The gospel story of the Rising of Lazarus is one of my favorites. But since I’ve touched on that account in the past I was drawn to the Isaiah and Revelation passages that talk about wiping away tears.

Isaiah prophecies of a time to come where the Lord of Hosts will make a feast of the best foods for all people. Earlier in verse 4 it tells how the enemies of the Lord will be defeated and the poor, needy, and distressed championed. Then it is said that the Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces and disgrace will be removed. Not only this great feast for all but the Lord will swallow up death forever. Salvation has come to those who have waited on the Lord. Instead of tears they will be glad and rejoice in God’s salvation.

In Revelation we have John’s vision of God’s final salvation coming. He sees a new heaven and a new earth. A voice tells him this is the home of God who is among mortals. God will dwell with them and be their God. As Isaiah predicted God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. This new life, Isaiah has spoken of, has come. The Lord says, “Behold I am making all things new.” This new creation fulfills all God’s promises to people. God’s unmediated presence will comfort them – protecting them from the pain and death of the old order.

God’s presence and new order will wipe away all sadness and suffering. Christ’s work on the cross has brought us eternal life where death will be no more along with no more tears and as Isaiah promises gladness will prevail and we will rejoice in God’s salvation.

I have cried many tears in my life when things don’t go my way, when friends move away, when people die, or someone wrongs me. But to think the day will come when we have no reason to cry – just reason to rejoice. But I don’t feel like we have to wait until then. We can receive comfort from God now. Jesus understands our human need for tears. In the Lazarus account he himself weeps – yet he and the rest of Lazarus’ family and friends rejoice when Lazarus is brought back to life.

Realizing that God will someday wipe away all tears encourages us as we wait for this day of salvation that Isaiah and John in Revelation talk about. This promise can help us wipe our tears now knowing that God will someday wipe tears from our eyes one last time. Amen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Job’s Restoration/David’s Redemption

  Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalms 34:1-8, 19-22   After Job has a long talk from God, Job answers acknowledging his own lack of knowledge compared with God’s. He talks about uttering things he did not understand. Now after hearing and seeing God he repents in dust and ashes. What is his reward for this humility? God not only delivers him from all his troubles, but God restores his fortunes twice as much as he had before. He lives till 140 seeing four generations. In the 34 th Psalm, David praises God for deliverance from trouble. He addresses the myth that the righteous have no troubles – just ask Job. David says in verse 19 that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will rescue them from them all. He brings up the point, however, that God is with us during our struggles. This suffering soul cried out and was heard by God who saved him from every trouble. He tells how the angel of the Lord surrounds those who fear him and delivers them. Verse 8 talks about t...
Read more

Reverent Submission II

Mark 10:35-45, Hebrews 5:1-10 In the gospel of Mark, James and John ask Jesus if they could have the high status of sitting next to Christ in glory. In answer Christ asks the question of whether they can drink the cup – basically go through the same suffering Jesus will go through and be metaphorically baptized by fire like Christ will be. To this they reply yes. Jesus confirms that they will actually do so – little do they realize what this will mean. However, he can not appoint who will sit next to him, only God can. The other ten disciples when they hear of this arrogance of James and John become angry with them. Jesus turns this into a teaching moment turning the hierarchy of the world upside down. He says he who wants to be great must be a servant. In regard to James and John wanting first place in the seating Christ says who ever wishes to be first must be a slave of all. He hits them with a surprising sentence – something they didn’t expect. It is that he, the Son of Man, ca...
Read more