Issue 1709 – The Willow Weeps – April 16, 2025
I pass by a beautiful weeping willow tree while driving Kathy to work. I want to take a photo of it, but it’s beside a busy road with no parking in my lane. As I pass, I think I’ll stop on the return trip, where there is some parking, but I either forgot or have driven past it before I realize it. So this morning, you get a generic weeping willow tree from another time.
The rain running off the curving branches resembles tears, hence the common name “weeping” willow. The scientific name for these beautiful trees is “Salix babylonica.” They were named by someone who thought they were the willows of Babylon mentioned in the Bible.
Psalm 137 is a psalm of lament, as the people mourn their captivity in Babylon and remember their home.
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.On the willows there we hung up our lyres.For there our captors required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy! Psalm 137:1-6
Even believers have times of lament in their lives. We lament the loss of a loved one, the state of the world, the depth of our sin, and more.
The disciples lamented over the death of Christ on the cross. All their hopes and dreams seemed to have been shattered. They had given up their regular lives and now seemed to have been proved fools.
When we look at the crucifixion, we see Christ resurrected, ascended, and triumphant. The original disciples saw none of that, even though He told them it must happen.
I don’t think we grieve His death nearly as much as they did. I believe that if we had watched the Lord die in such a horrific way, we might have a better understanding of the price of our sin.
On Friday, when we commemorate the Lord’s death, try to forget about His victory for a moment. Put yourself in the place of the disciples as best you can.
May you come to understand the magnitude of our sin and the Lord’s grace, mercy, and love.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).