When we read about the prophets in the Old Testament, the apostles in the New Testament, as well as those that have been great Intercessors throughout history, as they grow in their faith they all exhibit what is known in the Greek as Penthos. There isn’t a good direct translation for the word, but it involves having a broken and contrite heart, godly sorrow, holy mourning. They all seem to have a deep and growing understanding of the distance between them and the purity of God. It is this Penthos that leads them to repentance, often with tears.

Quite a difference to the way many of us were brought up, believing that weeping was a sign of weakness. And yet, our Savior wept.

Hebrews 5:7 (NASB)
7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

When we weep over our sin, it shows that we not only understand intellectually our sin, but the depth of it, when it “cuts to the heart”. This was the impact that the Holy Spirit had on the people through Peter in Acts 2.

Acts 2:37-38 (NASB)
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

All this weeping and tears seems rather glum and depressing and yet the scriptures say just the opposite. Contrition and repentance leads to great joy.

Psalm 126:5-6 (NASB)
5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Having been one who was brought up in the generation where tears were a sign of weakness, I am inclined to hold back the tears when my sin is before me and I begin to understand it deeply in my heart. I pray that God will help me to get over holding back and I can feel even a greater joy in Him.

Always praying for the glory of God,