INTRODUCTION
Remembrance Sunday is a day when the United Kingdom, honors the contribution made by military and civilian servicemen and women, in the two World Wars. Even Sri Lankans voluntarily joined the British and Commonwealth forces – around 1500 for World War 1 and around 6000 for World War 2.
Now whether in Sri Lanka or in Brittain, many families would have shed tears, when they received the news that their loved one was
- A causality, or
- Was killed in action, or
- Is missing in action. Or were taken in as
- A prisoners of war
Now, although there have been no more World Wars fought since 1945, the UN states that conflicts and violence is on the rise globally. From Palestine, to Ukraine, to Yemen, conflicts are causing tears as
- Citizens become refugees,
- Food and water become scarce;
- Economies collapse; and
- Homes, schools, places of work, and places of worship that took decades to build, are destroyed in seconds.
THE SETTING
- In Revelation 21, we read of all things made new.
- The writer John states that in the future there will be a New Heaven, a New Earth, and a New Jerusalem.
- And through a vision, John the writer of the last book of the Bible sees the New Jerusalem descend from heaven.
- The New Holy City comes down like a bride beautified for her husband.
- And in the New Jerusalem, John tells his readers that God dwells with His people.
SERMON TEXT
4 and He will wipe out (or, he will wipe off or wipe away, or He will erase – Future) every tear from their eyes, and death will not be any longer, nor mourning nor crying aloud nor pain; they will not be (Future) any longer, because the former things have disappeared (have gone away; or passed away).”
NO SADNESS IN HEAVEN
and He will wipe out (or, he will wipe off or wipe away, or He will erase) every tear from their eyes,
- On Remembrance Sunday family members of servicemen will have ‘tears of war’, when they remember their loved one who died in service.
- Last year, tears of war were observed on Pope Francis when he was moved to tears, when he publicly prayed for the suffering of the Ukrainians.
Now like the pontiff, all of us have shed different types of tears, during our lifetime.
- Tears of grief due to affection, such as wept by Mary, and Martha, and the widow of Nain;
- Tears of sorrow, such as Jeremiah and Jesus wept, over the sins of Jerusalem and their rejection of him;
- Tears of persecuted innocence, as Joseph shed.
- Tears of regret, shame, and repentance for faults and crimes against the goodness and majesty of heaven, as the penitent thief on the cross.
- Likewise tears of disappointment and neglect;
- Tears of longing for what cannot now be ours;
When his four-year-old son died, from a tragic accidental death, guitarist, songwriter, and singer, Eric Clapton composed the song ‘Tears in heaven’. He wrote and sang:
“… beyond the door (referring to heaven’s door), there’s peace, I’m sure, and I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven”.
Now there are some who think, that we will also shed tears in heaven, when we stand before God’s seat of Judgment, and regret about our failures in our former life. However, our text from Revelation 21: 4 clearly states that there will be ‘no more tears!’
Therefore, there should be no guilt-manipulation, as there are no grounds to imagine that we will shed tears in heaven. The emphasis of our text is on the comfort of God, and not on the regret of the saints.” Someone said,
God’s saints shed many tears in this world. But for His saints in heaven, there is no more crying—just joy. They are finally looking upon the face of God, and God is beholding them as He dries their tears. And one day He will reach out His nail-scared hands to you and wipe away every tear from your eyes.
NO SORROW IN HEAVEN
and death will not be any longer, nor mourning nor crying aloud nor pain; they will not be (Future) any longer,
According to the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, more than 526,000 people die each year because of the violence associated with armed conflict and large- and small-scale criminality.
Now Christians are pulled in two different directions. Some say that Jesus’ teachings on love makes it hard to justify that killing in war can ever be right. However, justice is also an important Christian principle. Non-resistance allows aggressors to get away.,
- Now if you were on your way home late at night, and someone attacked you, you may try to hit back in self-defense;
- Now similarly, if your country is attacked by another, your nation may go to war in self-defense.
- A girl in her twenties was stabbed by a man, and she screams for help but no one helps except watch, as they did not want to get involved.
- Now a country may be attacked by another, and your nation may decide to fight on behalf of the attacked nation, so that justice may be done.
A NEW START IN HEAVEN
because the former things have disappeared (have gone away; or passed away).”
However, in the New Heaven and the New Earth, there will no longer be death. Death would be gone for good that there will be no more funeral parlors, as they will not have any business. And never again shall there be sorrow, or suffering. They would be all gone away forever, as these former things would have passed away, says John.
So, what distinguishes the New Jerusalem from the Modern-day Jerusalem or from any other part of the earth, is that the New Holy City does not have –tears, sorrow, death or pain. Joseph Siess wrote;
Man comes into the world with a cry; and goes out of it with a groan, and all between is more or less intoned with helpless wailing… But the Halleluiahs of the renewed world will drown out the voice of woe forever.”
Fighting will only end when human nature changes. Jesus forecast that the world’s last days will be marked by war and not peace. It is only when Jesus returns will there be no more war’.
CONCLUSION
The following words are inscribed on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
“HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.”
If America remembers her unknown soldiers, think of the celebration that awaits countless servants of God who are relatively unknown on earth when they reach Heaven’s gates.