Sin and Sorrow
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Behold and see
If there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which has been brought on me,
Which the LORD has inflicted
In the day of His fierce anger. — Lamentations 1:12 NKJV
Sorrow is Common to Mankind
Sorrow is certainly the result of sin. No one is immune from times of sorrow. I talked to a man once who had his own concept of God (and it wasn’t a Biblical concept) who told me that his life had been great. He had never had any real problems. I figured that he either had a bad memory or that he was a good liar. Of course, I know that Satan does not attack people who reject the Lord like he attacks those who trust Him. Nevertheless, I sort of suspect that if the man had never had sorrow, sorrow was coming. His mother died shortly after I talked with him and even though she had lived a long fulfilling life, it would be a fairly good assumption that he had sorrow when she died.
The Bible says that trials are common to mankind. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.” The word for temptation could be translated trial. Most trials bring sorrow.
Women have sorrow when birthing a child. Most of us have sorrow because of accidents and untimely deaths. Many sorrows are simply because of circumstances beyond our control but the sorrows that hurt are the ones that occur because others intend to hurt others. And there is a lot of that in this world.
Personal Sorrow
Our family just recently lost one of my sisters to a tragic accident. Even though I wasn’t close to her, it has grieved me greatly. Others in the family are having trouble dealing with this tragedy and the sorrow associated with it. This is one of those sorrows that are common to mankind and there is nothing that can be done to avoid it. Adam and Eve set the stage for this kind of sorrow a long time ago.
In addition, one of my daughters and her family recently experienced a home invasion. Some young people seemed to think that causing others sorrow would cause them joy. No one was hurt. The house is repairable but an invasion like this leaves people feeling vulnerable. This sorrow too was set in motion by Adam and Eve but this sorrow was intentionally caused by others which makes it so difficult to accept.
The Man of Sorrows
But the real tragedy and sorrow occurred then the Lord was mocked, whipped, spit upon and crucified as a criminal after having been declared innocent by Pilate, the ruling governor. This too was set in motion by Adam and Eve and in the crucifixion we see the cruelty that is in some human hearts. But we see God’s love for us in allowing His Son to become a man of sorrows so we could have our sins righteously forgiven. This sorrow has provided a home in heaven for believers.
The Important Question
Our verse for today deals with the sorrows of those who pass by Jerusalem after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians. It was a reminder that God does judge sin. But the verse has a broader application. It takes us to a cross where the Lord died. And the question is asked of each of us, “Is it nothing to you that pass by?” For those who pass by the cross without considering their own relationship with God, their sorrows are going to be eternal as they undergo the wrath of God that is going to fall on those who reject the “Man of Sorrows.”
Yes, this world is full of sorrow because Adam and Eve violated just one commandment. Their desire to “make their own decisions” has become a part of the nature of each of us. But we need to remember that the Lord’s sorrow is able to keep us from great sorrow for eternity. I cannot imagine the sorrow of someone who knew John 3:16 but who still died without trusting the Lord for salvation. They will remember in a lost eternity the verse that could have been the means of their salvationd. That will be sorrow upon sorrow.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of July 24, 2022