TUSITE SEPITEMA 9, 2025
THE DANGER OF MISDIRECTED SYMPATHY
KO E FAKATU’UTAMAKI ‘O E TO HALA ‘A E ME’A ‘OKU TE MAMAHI AI
LUKE 23:27-28
"There followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."
LUKE 23:27-28
27 Pea na‘e muimui atu ki ai ha fu‘u tokolahi ‘o e kakai, kae‘uma‘ā ha kau fefine, ‘a ia na‘a nau sī fatafata mo ‘oiauē ‘iate ia. 28 Ka ka tafoki ‘a Sīsū kiate kinautolu ‘o ne pehē, Si‘i kau fefine Selusalema, ‘oua te mou tangi koe‘uhi ko au, ka mou tangi pē koe‘uhi ko kimoutolu, pea koe‘uhi ko ho‘omou fānau:
Ko e ngaahi kalanga “KALUSEFAI” ‘a e fu’u kakai, kuo malona atu. Kuo ola ‘enau taumu’a: kuo tu’utu’uni ‘e Pailato ke fakangata e mo’ui ‘a Sisu. Pea kuo fetongi ‘a e kaila ‘a e kakai, ‘aki ha ongo fo’ou, ko ha “kau fefine, ‘a ia na‘a nau sī fatafata mo ‘oiauē ”.
‘I he tu’unga ‘autalua na’e ‘i ai ‘a e sino ‘o Sisu (tapu mo Ia), na’e mei fe’unga pe mo ia ke tafoki atu ki he kau fefine na’a nau tengihia ia. Ka na’e ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i he’ene tafoki, ka na’a ne lea kiate kinautolu, ‘oua te mou tangi koe‘uhi ko au, ka mou tangi pē koe‘uhi ko kimoutolu, pea koe‘uhi ko ho‘omou fānau. ‘I hono toe fakalea ‘e tahaa, na’a ne talaange kiate kinautolu, ‘oku hala ‘a e me’a ‘oku nau tangi ai. ‘Oku ‘ikai ko Ia, ka ko kinautolu ‘oku totonu ke hu’u ki ai ‘enau fakamamahi koe’uhi ko e tu’unga fakatu’utamaki ‘oku nau ‘i ai.
Ko e lea ‘a Sisuu na’e ‘ikai ko ha lea kakaha pe ko ha’ane fakahalaki ‘a e tengihia ‘a e kau fefine. Ka ko ‘ene tohoaki ‘enau tokanga ki ha me’a ‘oku toe vivili mo mahu’inga ange - ‘a ia ko e fakamaau ‘oku tu’unaki ke hoko ki Selusalema ‘okapau te nau kei hokohoko atu pe ‘a ‘enau ta’e tui mo ‘enau ta’e tali Iaa.
Ko e uike si’i pe mei ai, na’e lea ai ‘a Sisu fekau’aki mo e teu ke haveki ‘a Selusalema: "Te nau (‘a e fili ‘o ‘Isileli) laiki homou ngaahi falé, mo tāmate‘i kimoutolu. ‘E ‘ikai ha foʻi maka ‘e tuku taʻeholoki koe‘uhi̇̄ ko e ‘ikai ke mou fakatokanga‘i ʻa e taimi naʻa haʻu ai homou fakamoʻui̇́.” (Luke 19:44). Na’e tokangaekina ‘e he kau fefine ko eni ‘a e tu’unga faingata’a’ia na’e ‘i ai ‘a Sisu. Na’a nau ‘ilo ‘a e faka’ofa ‘a hono fakamonuka ‘a e sino ‘o Sisuu mo e ta’etotonu ‘a e fakamaau na’e hoko ki ai. KA na’e ‘ikai te nau ‘ilo ‘a e taimi ‘e hoko mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua. Pea ko kinautolu ‘oku ‘ikai te nau fakatokanga’i kuo hoko mai ‘a e ‘Otua ‘ia Sisu Kalaisi, ke ne fakakakato ‘Ene ngaahi palomesi, mo ‘omi ‘a e fakahaofi mei he’ene tautea, ko kinautolu ia ‘e fehangahangai mo ‘Ene fakamaau. Ko ia ai, na’e hoko ‘a Selusalema ko e talateu ki he fakamaau lahi, ‘i hono kapa ‘e Loma ‘a e Kolo ‘i he 70 T.S.; tamate’i ‘a hono kakai pea faka’auha mo e temipale.
‘I he ‘aho ni, ‘o hangee pe ko e taimi ‘i mu’aa, ‘oku ‘ikai ui kitautolu ‘e Sisu ke tau ongo’i mamahi pe. ‘Oku ‘ikai. ‘Oku ‘ikai kei tautau ‘a Sisu ‘i he kolosi. ‘Oku Ne ‘afio ‘i he to’omata’u ‘o e Tamai ‘i loto tatau. Ko e lea ‘a Sisu ki he kau fefine ‘i he talanoa ‘o e pekia - pea mo kitautolu he ‘aho ni - ko ha fakatokanga ki he fa’ahinga ‘oku nau ongo’i mamahi pe ‘i he ha’aha’a mo e fakamaau hala na’e fai kia Sisuu, kae ‘ikai ke tokanga ki he tu’unga fakaloloma ‘o e mo’ui ta’e tui mo e ta’e fakatomala. Koe’uhi ko e ‘Aho Fakamaau Lahi ‘oku tu’unuku mai, ‘e ‘ikai ke toe ‘i ai ha hufanga meiate Ia, KA ko e hufanga pe ‘iate IA.
Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e Taha: FAKAMAAU 7-8; SIONE 3:16-36
THE DANGER OF MISDIRECTED SYMPATHY
KO E FAKATU’UTAMAKI ‘O E TO HALA ‘A E ME’A ‘OKU TE MAMAHI AI
LUKE 23:27-28
"There followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."
LUKE 23:27-28
27 Pea na‘e muimui atu ki ai ha fu‘u tokolahi ‘o e kakai, kae‘uma‘ā ha kau fefine, ‘a ia na‘a nau sī fatafata mo ‘oiauē ‘iate ia. 28 Ka ka tafoki ‘a Sīsū kiate kinautolu ‘o ne pehē, Si‘i kau fefine Selusalema, ‘oua te mou tangi koe‘uhi ko au, ka mou tangi pē koe‘uhi ko kimoutolu, pea koe‘uhi ko ho‘omou fānau:
The shouts of "Crucify!" coming from the crowd had abated. Their mission had been successful: Pilate had sent Jesus to His execution. Now, in place of shouts for death, a new sound arose the sound "of women who were mourning," wailing, and weeping.
It would have been no surprise if the exhausted Jesus had simply glanced in the direction of those "lamenting for him" as He staggered toward the site of His crucifixion, noticing and perhaps acknowledging their sympathy. But He did more than that. He actually stopped, turned to them, and said, "Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." In other words, He told them that their sympathy was misdirected that instead of feeling pity for Him, they should consider the perilous state they were in.
Jesus' words were not a stern rebuke, as if it was wrong for these women to mourn. Rather, He wanted them to see that there was something for which they needed to weep with a far greater concern - namely, the judgment that awaited Jerusalem if its inhabitants were to persist in their unbelief and rejection of Him.
Less than a week before, Jesus had spoken about the destruction of Jerusalem: "They [Israel's enemies] will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:44, NIV). These women recognized enough to extend their sympathy toward the buffered and broken body of Jesus. They recognized that this was a sorry sight, a travesty and perversion of justice. But they did not yet recognize the time of God's coming to them. And those who do not recognize that in Jesus God has come to keep His promises and hold out salvation from His judgment will be left to face that judgment. For Jerusalem, a prequel of that final judgment would come when the city was occupied by a Roman army in AD 70, its citizens killed, and its temple razed to the ground.
Now as then, Jesus is not calling us to mere sympathy. He doesn't need it! Jesus is not on a cross today: He is seated at the right hand of the Father on high. Jesus' words to these women then - and to us now - are a warning to those who would rather feel sorry for Him as a victim of injustice than face up to the fact that humanity is facing deserved repentance and faith. Because on that final judgment day, there will be no refuge from Him. There is only refuge in Him.
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