Christ Kona?

lably over the death of this modern-day
Christian martyr. Perhaps she was a relative,
a fellow Christian, or, as Martin
Luther King once described himself, “a
drum major for justice.”
Weeping for Loss
Second, we cry when we suffer severe
loss—the loss of a job, home, or marriage.
Or we may lose a friend or relative
through illness or death.
Peter had been ready to protect his
Lord at the point of a sword. Jesus had
forbidden him. Now he could see that
he was losing his Master. Reality was
setting in. “A tide of memories rushed
the fact that your Christian life has not
been sinless? Ever had to admit that
what you thought was your strength
was your weakness? Ever realized that
you were trying to live a Christian life
without prayer, Bible study, or witnessing?
I think of myself and almost fear I
might hear a cock crow outside.
Where Is the Gospel?
But where is the gospel while we cry?
Actually, it’s right there. It’s been
there all along. For those who weep for
tribulation Jesus reassures: “In the
world you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world” (John
therefore, under God’s mighty hand,” he
writes, “that he may lift you up in due
time. Cast all your anxiety on him
because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6, 7).
Joy Comes in the Morning
So how do we find the gospel glistening
in a falling teardrop? We do it by
remembering that “weeping may stay
for the night, but rejoicing comes in the
morning” (Ps. 30:5). “A heartache here
is but a stepping stone” because “this
troubled world is not my final home.” 6
One day, and soon, “God will wipe
every tear from [our] eyes” (Revelation
7:17).
And there is just as much good
news for those who weep in
despair over personal failure.
over him. The Savior’s tender mercy, His
kindness and long-suffering, His gentleness
and patience toward His erring
disciples—all was remembered.” 4
Which of us has not known the bitterness
of death, when both sad and happy
memories bring tears to our eyes or our
hearts? Peter’s grief was a profoundly
complicated experience.
Weeping for Failure
Third, we might experience pain as a
result of our own failure, sin, or guilt.
Born-again singer and songwriter Jason
Crabb admits:
“Sometimes I fall down,
Stumble over my own disguise;
I try to look strong as the whole
world looks on,
But sometimes, alone, I cry.” 5
Have you ever come face to face with
16:33). Tribulation, it turns out, “worketh
patience; and patience, experience;
and experience, hope” (Rom. 5:3, 4, KJV).
And for those who struggle through distress,
persecution, famine, hunger, and
death Paul testifies that “in all these
things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
And there is just as much good news
for those who weep in despair over
personal failure. “Though the righteous
fall seven times, they rise again” (Prov.
24:16). And “if anybody does sin, we
have an advocate with the Father—
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One”
(1 John 2:1).
And for all the saints seeking gospel
amid the cares and concerns that Christians
must daily confront, Peter supplies
an answer carved from his belated but
heartfelt humility. “Humble yourselves,
Yes, “sometimes alone I cry.” For my
guilt and sin, for my trials and loss, and
the pain of another’s injustice. But I cry
not as those who have no hope. I cry
with the blessed hope that when morning
comes, God shall wipe away every
tear from my eye. n
1
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Moutain View,
Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898), p. 712.
2
www.pulpithelps.com/www/docs/997-5916.
3
http://tribune.com.pk/story/126287/
shahbaz-bhatti-attacked-in-islamabad/.
4
E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 713.
5
www.elyrics.net/read/j/jason-crabb-lyrics/
sometimes-i-cry-lyrics.html.
6
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, no. 632.
Frank A. Campbell, a
freelance writer, editor, and
speechwriter, is president of
ARISE! and has written for the
Washington Post, as well as
many Adventist publications.
26 (442) | www.AdventistReview.org | May 16, 2013