Wisdom calls, she lifts up her voice like a trumpet – can we hear her: “The last shall be first, and the first last.” She is to be preferred over pure gold – have we sought her: “Everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” By her presidents rule and judges administer justice – have we found her: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Ponder wisdom:
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth Eccl 7:2-4
Wisdom? The human heart is made better by sadness? The house of mourning is to be preferred to the house of feasting? Isn’t Christian gospel of salvation about God’s awesome, happy plan for our lives? Why all this gloomy talk of sadness and mourning? Certainly the writer misunderstands the ways of God? Surely he’s confused – or is he? Is it possible that it is us moderns who are confused concerning the ways of God?
Solomon understood the often overlooked and misunderstood truth that “unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it abides alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit.” He knew that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (John 12:24). Solomon understood that without crucifixion there can be no resurrection. Friend, is the modern Christian church greater than its Master?
Consider a baker meticulously mixing water, sugar, salt, yeast and flour. He mixes and punches; he rolls and kneads until the dough is perfect. His guests are screaming for the bread, but he knows he must be patient – the rising cannot be rushed. “Leave out the yeast!” cries a famished guest. “After all, the other ingredients are there.” But the wise baker knows that even though such a yeast-free concoction might taste similar to bread it would not really be bread at all.
From instant oatmeal to gourmet microwave dinners, if you want faster and easier, you’ve got it. Drive-through banks, drive-through restaurants, seeker friendly churches – it’s OK, leave the yeast out! We want fortune without work and Christian conversion without contrition – it takes too long to rise! Contrition? Contrition is the yeast in the bread of conversion. Contrition is the house of mourning. It is the sadness of the countenance. Contrition is the death of the seed – the weeping in the night. Contrition is the crucifixion of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, excuses and arrogance. Contrition is the sackcloth and ashes of the heart.
Without contrition genuine gospel salvation and revival are impossible. Please, don’t misunderstand. We can still play church (even mega-church) without contrition. We might have thousands at our crusades (and probably will) without contrition. Sinners can even recite rote prayers without contrition. We cannot, however, get one self-obsessed soul to repent and be genuinely saved without contrition.
Your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God…and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes, and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD (2 Chron 34:27-28).
The sacrifice of a rent garment is useless without the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart. Likewise, the sacrifices of church attendance, giving, and other spiritual activities are useless without a contrite heart. Without this inner contrition the Lord doesn’t hear. We can hire professional singers and professional preachers heralding revival, but without contrition – God does not hear and revival will not come. Without the yeast the bread won’t rise.
Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor 7:10).