Introduction
Are you willing to let God disciple you through your tears instead of hiding them, explaining them away, or rushing past them? Jesus teaches us that tears are not a spiritual failure but a surprising place of blessing, when we weep with faith, God meets us, changes us, and even sends us with compassion. In Luke’s record of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). That’s not sentimental. It’s a promise: God can take real weeping, real pain, real repentance, real compassion, and turn it into a deep, lasting joy.
Main Points
Are you willing to let God disciple you through your tears instead of hiding them, explaining them away, or rushing past them? Jesus teaches us that tears are not a spiritual failure but a surprising place of blessing, when we weep with faith, God meets us, changes us, and even sends us with compassion.
In Luke’s record of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). That’s not sentimental. It’s a promise: God can take real weeping, real pain, real repentance, real compassion, and turn it into a deep, lasting joy.
Tears Reveal What’s Really Happening
Tears are often a message that something deep is going on. Sometimes we try to dismiss them, especially when we think “it’ll be fine”, but persistent weeping can be a signal that real pain needs real attention.
God has given us tears as a gift. They help us understand our own hearts, and they help others understand what’s happening inside us. And discipleship begins when we stop pretending and start bringing what’s real into the light before God.
God Welcomes Sorrow Without Shame
If you’re in a season of sadness, that does not mean you’re outside God’s will. Scripture gives you language for every emotion, and especially for grief. God included an entire prayer-and-worship book, Psalms, to meet you where you are.
The Psalms don’t sanitize suffering:
- Psalm 6: “I…drench my couch with my tears.”
- Psalm 42: “My tears have been my food day and night.”
- Psalm 56: God collects your tears, He sees them and remembers them.
- Psalm 126: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.”
In Matthew’s parallel beatitude, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Mourning is not weakness; it’s honest grief brought into God’s presence. The world says, “Deny it, numb it, move on.” The way of Jesus says, “Bring it to the Father and receive comfort.”
Jesus Wept With Real People
If you ever wonder whether godliness means always being upbeat, remember the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb while Mary and Martha mourned, even though He knew resurrection power was about to be displayed. He joined their grief before He lifted their eyes. That tells me something crucial: Jesus does not demand that you pretend. He meets you in the ache.
And when we come to worship with a heavy heart, we’re not out of place. Church is not where we put on the best smile; it’s where we bring the truest burdens. God is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and He often shows His nearness through His Spirit and through His people.
Here are blessings God often gives in sorrow:
- God acknowledges your pain, you don’t have to bury it.
- “Now” isn’t forever, “you weep now,” but God promises laughter later (Luke 6:21).
- Community becomes real, we learn to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and to join a deeper fellowship before we need it most.
Repentance Brings Blessed Brokenness
Psalm 34 doesn’t just mention a broken heart, it also speaks of a contrite spirit. That moves us from sorrow over suffering to sorrow over sin.
David’s Psalm of repentance says: “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). David wrote that in the wake of grievous sin (Bathsheba) and the devastating realization that sin destroys: it harms others, it corrodes worship, and it leads us down a path of death.
Real repentance doesn’t stay theoretical. It becomes heartfelt, sometimes tearful, and it’s a gift, because it’s the moment God turns us back from destruction toward life.
James describes repentance with stunning directness:
- “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
- “Lament and mourn and weep…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:9–10).
In other words: the gospel makes room for tears about sin and joy about salvation in the same turning point.
Marks of genuine repentance that I want you to pursue:
- No more excuses: not blaming, not spinning, owning.
- No more pride: relying on grace, not defending your “goodness.”
- A real desire to change: not just feeling bad, but turning toward God’s will.
Compassionate Tears Fuel True Witness
As you grow, God doesn’t only use your tears for your own healing; He uses them to give you His heart for others. Psalm 119 says, “Rivers of tears flow down my eyes, because people do not keep your law” (Psalm 119:136). That is grief not for self, but for souls.
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, cried because people were walking toward destruction (Jeremiah 9:1). And Jesus did the same. As He approached Jerusalem in the final week before the cross, “he wept over it” (Luke 19:41–44) because they rejected the time of God’s visitation, and judgment was coming.
This is what true outreach must look like: not winning arguments, not scoring points, not hardened ranting, but compassion. If I can look at a lost and confused generation and feel only anger or superiority, something in me is not yet like Jesus. The way of Jesus is truth with tears.
Conclusion
Jesus promises a surprising blessing: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). Your tears can be:
- Tears of sorrow that bring God’s comfort and the strength of His people,
- Tears of repentance that turn you from death to life through grace,
- Tears of compassion that align your heart with Christ for a hurting world.
So I want to disciple you into honesty: don’t waste your weeping. Bring it to God. Let Him interpret it, heal it, and transform it into joy and mission.
Father, thank You that You are near to the brokenhearted and that You do not despise a broken and contrite heart. Teach us to stop pretending and to bring You what is real. For those who are grieving, comfort them by Your Spirit and through Your people. For those under conviction, grant genuine repentance with no excuses, no pride, and a true desire to change. And give us the heart of Jesus, soft enough to weep for others and bold enough to speak truth in love. We trust Your promise that weeping is for now, but joy is coming. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclusion
Jesus promises a surprising blessing: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). Your tears can be:
- Tears of sorrow that bring God’s comfort and the strength of His people,
- Tears of repentance that turn you from death to life through grace,
- Tears of compassion that align your heart with Christ for a hurting world.
So I want to disciple you into honesty: don’t waste your weeping. Bring it to God. Let Him interpret it, heal it, and transform it into joy and mission.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You that You are near to the brokenhearted and that You do not despise a broken and contrite heart. Teach us to stop pretending and to bring You what is real. For those who are grieving, comfort them by Your Spirit and through Your people. For those under conviction, grant genuine repentance with no excuses, no pride, and a true desire to change. And give us the heart of Jesus, soft enough to weep for others and bold enough to speak truth in love. We trust Your promise that weeping is for now, but joy is coming. In Jesus’ name, amen.