You can just hear the sadness and longing in Jesus’ words: lamenting over the city, the people. This whole chapter, He has been laying into them HARD and now we hear His tenderness, emotion, sorrow…we hear His heart. He loves these stiff-necked people. He gave up His heavenly home for them. He knows that in three days He will die a brutal death for them.
He likens Himself to a mother hen wanting to gather her chicks under the protection of her wings. But they were not willing!
Why would they refuse shelter, care, inclusion, warmth, love?
A mother hen actually warns her young when she sees danger by letting out a squawk and then they instinctively run for cover under her wings. He has warned them but predominantly they just get more and more enraged at His attempts to rescue them.
It’s tragic. I live in this city today. I have lived in East Jerusalem for almost ten years. What I see is not far from what was breaking the heart of our Lord almost two thousand years ago. I see people who are dazzled by an event/production (see triumphal entry in Matthew 21), they are blinded by religion, they are calcified in tradition, they are impoverished by pride. Judaism, Islam and Christianity—all of them fall into these traps. Yes, even the Christians stone those who are sent to them. We have heard about traditional Christian leaders saying they would prefer their parishioners become Muslim rather than be born again! Their houses are left desolate!
All of us can fall into these traps. This lament is not only for Jerusalem. We can become those “religious” people who have all the answers and don’t heed the warnings in Scripture or the squawking of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I know there have been times in my life that I thought I had everything figured out and forfeited the protection and joy that can only be found under the shelter of His wings! Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Oh Terri! Oh Eastbrook! Oh _____________(add your name)! In what ways are we unwilling? In what subjects are we refusing? In which areas of our lives are we resistant? Are we drawn to the parade? Bedazzled but not transformed by the One who longs for us?
For reflection:
Has there ever been an area of your life you’ve been unwilling to turn over to Jesus? Pray that Christ can have control over all of your life!
by Terri Plant
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