Dry eyes

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4

I read a news report about a woman who hadn’t shed a tear in 18 years. The reason for her dry eyes was physical, not emotional. Doctors said she was a victim of a rare condition called Sjogren’s syndrome. For some unknown reason, antibodies attacked her tear glands as if they were undesirable foreign organisms.

This reminds me of a spiritual problem among the people of God – people who should and could cry, but don’t. They need to learn what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are those who mourn" (Matthew 5:4).

Sometimes we think tears are a sign of weakness. But if this were the case, why did Jesus cry (Luke 19:11)? Why did James tell Christians to weep over their sins (James 4:9)?

True, people differ in the way they express their emotions. But literal tears aren’t the real issue. What’s important is the attitude of the heart. The real issue is how deeply we sense the implications of our sins. Are we filled with godly sorrow? Are we pained by the tragic consequences our sin creates in our relationships with others? I’m not talking about putting on a phony show of sorrow, but do we feel some of the same sorrow God feels about evil? Are we willing to turn from it? Or do we have dry eyes? – Mart De Haan Ii

The Lord wants us to mourn our sin,

To grieve what brings Him pain;

And if the sorrow changes us,

Our tears won’t be in vain. – Sper

READ: Matthew 5:1-10

Indifference to evil is a great evil.