In my way to work this morning, I spent a portion of it in prayer. I prayed for my ladies (Teresa and Ripley), our families, the church, and other needs I know about. I started praying for a couple, husband and wife, friend of ours who are having some tough times and my heart broke with the idea of what might be the end result. I don’t know the end result because anything can happen; I’ve seen God repair marriages in a big way and this can happen. But while I was praying for the couple, I thought about all the times my actions must have broken God’s heart and how humanity as a whole did just that.
In John 11:35, the Bible tells us that Jesus cried when he saw where his friend was buried. I know that Jesus knew who He was, 100% God, and that He was going to raise him from the grave. So He knew that his friend was not going to be dead too much longer but why did He cry? I think that He saw what sin had done to His creation; to mankind. It is only because sin entered the world that death was born. I think seeing what sin had done to what He created caused Him to cry and broke his heart.
In John 19:34, when the Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus blood and water came out. Literally, Jesus died from a broke heart on the cross. His heart ruptured so that is why there was a blood/water mix when the spear pierced his heart. Some may argue that it was the stress on the cross along with being beaten and having nails driven in Him that cause the rupture of His heart and thus His death. You can point all the medical ideas you want, but it was God’s love for mankind that held Him on the cross and caused Him to endure it. It was because our sin and the sin of mankind that broke Jesus’ heart on the cross.
Even though our sin separates us from the Holy God, He still wants to connect with us. We can only connect with God (meaning have fellowship with) if we accept what Jesus did on the cross. When we accept what Jesus did on the cross, we are reconnected with God the Father in a way we cannot truly understand this side of heaven. Just like your little (or adult) children can break your heart; our actions (after salvation) can break our Heavenly Father’s heart. Since I struggle with sin, I cannot judge others who are battling with sin. As I walk with God, my spirit becomes strong and the flesh grows weak so I can overcome temptation but it is only through God’s power I am able. With that said, I am not judging my friends but am holding them accountable. I encourage them to turn to God and allow Him to work on both of them. Right now, it appears that only one of them is doing this but God can do great things. As Christians, we are called to point lost people to the cross and the Holy Spirit does the work. As Christians, we are also called to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable with love. Because we all struggle, we cannot sit in judgment; only Jesus Christ is qualified to do so.
We all have broken God’s heart; with our sin on the cross, and when we go against what He has written in His word. Just as a parent, you forgive you child(ren) their failures; God forgives us.
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