As Jesus came near and saw the city, he wept over it. ~Luke 19:41
Dominus Flevit is Latin for “the Lord wept.” Dominus Flevit is also the name of a modern church on the Via Dolorosa, outside the city gates of Jerusalem. Pilgrims often visit this church while walking the path Jesus traveled on the way to the cross.
The church was built in the shape of a tear. A large front window overlooks Jerusalem to commemorate the tears that Jesus wept over this city.
Jesus was unafraid of tears, knowing they are part of the universal human experience. We are born crying. This life is a vale of tears. When we die, others will cry.
Tears are positive in many ways. They unite us with others. They bring cleansing and redemption. They express inexpressible emotion.
What does it mean to you that Jesus was a Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)?
Prayer: Lord, redeem my tears and make me whole.
Click here for the Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm Sunday).
This material is adapted from my book, Chasing the Divine in the Holy Land.
The photo of Dominus Flevit is mine.
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