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As we continue our studies in Chapter 13 of Luke’s gospel, this week our attention is focused on verses 22-35. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 13:34-35 (NIV)
‘”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”’
As part of my commute to my place of work in Cardiff, I spend a significant number of hours on the train. There are numerous stops along the way and each journey brings fresh stories of how people react and respond. Rush hour journeys in the summer months bring out the worse in people as they push themselves into every available space. Many an argument ensues as tempers flare in the stifling atmosphere of an overcrowded train.
School holidays result in screaming babies and very often, it is women who battle in vain to control their generally tired and unruly children. I have literally heard women at the top of their voices shouting threats at their children. “If you don’t come here, I’m going to hammer you”. Despite that, I’ve seen the children stand defiantly in opposition to the demands of the parent. They are completely unwilling to listen and respond to the wishes of their mother.
Our verses today are perhaps among the saddest in all of the New Testament. In stark contrast to the threats shouted at the children on the train, Jesus’ words are filled with compassion, and love. You can almost feel the intense emotion on display as He begins to think about the journey to Calvary. You can also sense the grief in His words as He mentions the prophets that had been killed over many centuries.
There are numerous places in the Scripture where Jesus uses repetition like this. He says, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. I’m sure you remember the time where, in the house of Lazarus and his sisters, Jesus said “Martha, Martha”. Later in Luke, we read “Simon, Simon”. On each occasion, Jesus is filled with compassion and love. Here, even though the address is to the city of Jerusalem, I think He is referring to the whole nation of Israel. Jerusalem represented Israel and so the empathy He feels is in relation to the whole nation and not just the inhabitants of the city.
‘How often I have longed to gather…’. Some translations use the phrase ‘How often I have wanted to gather’. Both the words are different sides of the same coin. One is tied to the will and purpose of God and the other demonstrates the emotional desire of God. It is not God’s will that any should perish and He longs for everyone to be saved. And yet, the saddest of all phrases follows this kind of outpouring of desire – ‘But you were not willing’.
Over many hundreds of years, God had been revealing His will, His purpose and His desire to Israel. Continually, God was rejected and Israel’s will had stood in direct opposition to Almighty God. I am constantly amazed how the God who created everything by the Word of His power allows humanity to choose their own destiny. As I mentioned earlier, seeing children stand defiantly in front of the parents is very disconcerting. How much more hurt is our God when His children oppose Him? God’s plan for your life is amazing. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness. At the end of this week, my prayer for us is that we surrender our wills and allow His arms to gather us closer to His Heart. There is no better place to be!
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