Lamentation For Jerusalem: Matthew 23:37-39
““37) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38) Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39) For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”” Matthew 23:37-39
It is difficult to read these words without thinking of Psalm 91. God wants to protect His people. He wants them to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty. He wants to be their refuge and fortress. He wants to cover them with His pinions and let them seek refuge under His wings. (Psalm 91:1-4)
But Jerusalem opposed Him! It persecuted and killed those sent to warn them. It embraced foreign gods and set up many idols. It spurned God and embraced foreign morals and values. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all prophesied against them. They were bent on evil and destruction.
Just prior to the time of Jesus they had a little time of reprieve. The temple had been rebuilt and the sacrificial system restored, but wickedness and corruption was boiling under the surface. The religious leaders were again leading the people astray. They were about to reject and crucify their Messiah.
These verses epitomize how much Jesus loved and longed for His people. He wept over this city. The next chapter opens with His prophecy that the city was about to be destroyed and the temple torn down. Not one stone would be left upon another.
At some point in the future, the Jewish people will turn back to Him. They will welcome Him with open arms. They will cry out; “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
