There has been a expression of grief that has been constantly coming up around me and it is the tearing of clothes. It all started when one of the most influential people in my life, Jamie, messaged me about how he was listening to a sermon about the “ancient near eastern custom of tearing the robes- and how it was the ultimate display of emotion.” He listened to the seriousness of the action while on the inside he was laughing about one time in college when I tore my t-shirt in half after we missed Mel Gibson being on campus. Apparently William Wallace was pretty important to me.
Next was this past weekend concerning Easter. Dr. Blackwood was teaching the passage in Matthew 9:18-26 concerning how Jesus is Master over death. He explained the practice of how the noisy crowd could have included two types of people. Men who would tear their clothes on behalf of the grieving family and women who would cry at the top of their lungs also.
Now I am getting ready for a mission trip to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. In August and September of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita changed many lives. It destroyed numerous cities and multiple states. The damage can still be seen today. To understand having everything and losing everything, two people come to mind.
On the way to Orlando for the Youth Pastors Summit last week, Jeff played a sermon by Andy Stanley called, “The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” [Daniel 4:25]. King Nebuchanezzar had the most powerful kingdom during his time, but he lost it all when he claimed that He had built it himself [Daniel 4:30].
The second person that comes to mind is Job. Job was the greatest of all the people of the east [Job 1:3] but he lost it all. Ultimately the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before [Job 42:10] but during his trial he tore his robe and shaved his head [1:20].
This was his ultimate display of emotion. He lost it all, but what is inspiring to me is the fact that In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong [1:22]. It was his attitude in the truth that saved him from charging God with wrong. I hope that we can be a source of light for the people of Bay St. Louis and help show them that they can say like Job,
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” [1:21].
on the subject of tearing clothes because of grief…
the veil being torn at the instant that Jesus died on the cross…
understandably it was to open the holy of holies to the nations as well as to show that there was no longer separation. but, i believe that it served a dual purpose if you choose to look (as most scripture does) and it was the expression of the Father’s grief at the death of his Son. the jews would totally have understood this since it was a common practice among them. they would have gotten the dual meaning.
pretty cool stuff.