I have always had this picture of
Jesus as a warmhearted, passionate, joyous person. He made time for the
children and broke bread with the disciples and taught and was passionate about
God's temple. It all seems so sweet, yet Isaiah 53:3 declares him a man of
sorrows.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
The opposite of pure joy perhaps
is sorrow. Though it is possible to have
joy in your sorrows, in the same way you can be being happy and sad for various
reasons.
Sorrow is defined as mental,
physical or emotional anguish. The gut wrenching angst for something more or
something less. For the wrongs to be righted and the dead to be made alive and
the dark to be overcome by light and the night to give way to the dawn and
ultimately, for the sinners to turn from their ways.
Living in a world full of sin
that is distant from God, knowing this is not how we were meant to be, must
have been hard. Knowing we were made for greater. Knowing the toiling and
ensnaring and separation and chaos that sin so entails each person, should he
choose. That is a reason for sorrow and pain and suffering.
But Jesus' sorrow was not without
reason and not due to his own sin, but for the most worthy of causes. It was about encouragement for us, all the
more, in to leading humanity to repentance while he walked the earth and
died on the cross and rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. Culminating
with bringing about our redemption.
Man of Sorrows by Hillsong Worship is a great listen for
this sorrow + redemption story. Have a listen.
Man of sorrows Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow is the root that gives depth to the soul and allows praise to bud and rise and grow in to a nourished, strong, unwavering, fruit producing, shade giving tree. This sorrow produces perseverance and repentance and has the ability to set the heart ablaze with the desires of God.
Paul goes on listing to the Corinthians what godly sorrow produces (2 Corinthians 7:11):
Earnestness - sincerity of heart to repent
Eagerness to clear yourselves - a certain amount of excitement to stop sinning
Indignation / alarm / longing / concern / readiness to see justice done - taking ownership and acknowledging the sin + its effects in order to learn + grow.
Would I like to be known as a woman of sorrow? Quite frankly no. Perhaps you would like that added next to your name on a business card?
________, a man / woman of sorrow.
It has a such a broken and sad connotation to it. But what if in your state of sorrow, you brought one person in to eternity. Or maybe two. Or a dozen or hundreds. It is impossible to see what God has planned but there is a place for sorrow as there is a place for joy and becoming like Jesus encapsulates them both.
Praying that as you experience sorrow in your life - sorrow for the poor, the afflicted, the broken hearted, the sick, the unjust - that you would find encouragers on the path to point you towards the goal and that it would ultimately lead you to a deeper concern and love for others and with God.
Praying your adventure would not be one of wandering and meandering but seeking justice and loving and sharing truth. Praying that while it may feel like more of a lonesome journey at times, that you would take each step and put one foot in front of the other and count on God for the strength to endure and the love to act.
Here's to sorrows and redemption.