No More Tears?

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.~ Rev 21:3-4

This week, (A particularly demanding schedule awaits me!) I will be attempting to write some shorter meditations from this passage.

I have called this blog 'No More tears' (which I think sounds like a kind of kids shampoo now I think about it) but it is interesting, at least here, that the passage does not actually say that.

He goes on to say that there will be no more death. He links in with that, that there will be no more mourning, no more crying and no more pain.

But even though he says there will be no more crying, he doesn't say that there will be no more tears.

It stands to reason that if there is no more pain and no more death then there will be no more tears.

But I speculate that perhaps there may be tears of joy.

Whether tears of joy will be permitted or not, or if it is as simple as us being allowed one last cry for all the sorrow that has passed, and the relief of finally being in his presence, he himself will wipe away our tears.

That is a picture of the sweetest and tenderest of intimacies.

That is something, at least in our culture, that is reserved for the closest of relationships. A parent, to start with, will do it for their child. There may conceivably be friendship so intimate that this may feature (but in my view that is rare, and usually not amongst males) and later it could be for a lover or spouse to do such a thing.

But God, more intimate and closer than all these relationships, will wipe our tears with his own hand.

This is the face to face intimacy we can look forward to.

And I think it worth noting that he does not say.....there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain.....and THEN say there will be no more tears.

It is not that he will simply dry up the source of our tears. It is not because he will magically wave his hand and all the pain will vanish, therefore we will not cry as some kind of logical progression.

No.

He meets us first. He wipes our tears away. It is because we have met with him, and he has met our need in it's fullness, that we will know no more crying. He IS the source of this ultimate healing.

And it is not emotions asides. I hope you understand this. It is the healing of our emotions in meeting him, that dries our eyes.

I was known for crying easily as a child, and I was told by some less compassionate adults in my family (not parents) to 'Turn off the waterworks'. I was told 'don't be a cry baby', and 'Pull yourself together'.

But this picture is so far removed from a divine 'Snap out of it!'.

I believe the tears will flow, and perhaps flow as we sob into his chest and he will tenderly wipe them away until there are indeed, no more tears.

Lord, we thank you that you are the God of all comfort, and that we will meet you face to face and that you will wipe every tear from our eyes,

That fills us with hope,

This day,
And all days.

Amen.