How does Psalm 119:136 connect with Jesus' compassion for the lost?

Psalm 119:136 – a Heart Flooded with Tears

“My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.”

• The psalmist mourns, not over personal suffering, but over the world’s refusal to honor God’s word.

• Tears flow because every act of disobedience dishonors the holy God he loves.

• The verse reveals love for God and for people intertwined: he grieves because rebellion harms both.

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Jesus Mirrors That Same Grief

• Matthew 9:36 — “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

• Luke 19:41 — “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.”

• Mark 6:34 — “He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

• John 11:35 — “Jesus wept,” revealing His tenderness toward human pain and disbelief.

• Each scene shows Jesus feeling deep sorrow not for Himself, but for people estranged from God’s truth.

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Shared Themes Linking the Psalmist and the Savior

• Grief over sin: both shed tears because God’s law is ignored.

• Compassion, not condemnation: tears spring from love that longs to see sinners restored.

• Zeal for God’s honor: disobedience wounds their hearts because it dishonors the Father.

• Action flows from emotion: the psalmist prays and teaches God’s word; Jesus preaches, heals, and ultimately gives His life to reclaim the lost.

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Why the Connection Matters for Us Today

• The Old Testament sorrow in Psalm 119 finds its fullest expression in Jesus, who perfectly embodies God’s compassion.

• Our mission echoes theirs: love God’s word, mourn its neglect, and move toward the lost with Christlike mercy (Jude 22–23; 2 Corinthians 5:14).

• Tears alone are not the end; they push believers to gospel proclamation, patient discipleship, and intercessory prayer, just as the psalmist and Jesus demonstrate.

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Living Out This Compassion

• Let Scripture shape our emotions, allowing holy grief over sin to replace indifference.

• Imitate Jesus by engaging broken people with truth and tenderness (Ephesians 4:15).

• Pray that our eyes, like the psalmist’s and our Lord’s, stay moist enough to move our feet toward the lost, yet fixed on the certainty that God’s word and Christ’s cross rescue all who believe.