Matthew 23:37-39

Matthew 23:37-39

Jerusalem, Jerusalem: the one who kills the prophets and who hurls stones to the death of the ones who have been sent to her.  How often I desired to gather together your children in the manner that a hen gathers together her chicks under the wing – and you did not desire it!  Behold!  Your house is not left desolated to you.  For I say to you all, you all should surely not see me from now until you all should say, “The one who comes in the name of the Lord is having been blessed.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The Hebrew people have a history of rejecting spiritual authority.  The kings rejected spiritual authority.  The people rejected spiritual authority.  The Hebrew people did not like being restrained from following the desires of their hearts.  Then again, who among us does?  So they killed those who told them to live a better way.  They hurled stones at those who would encourage them to live their life under God’s agenda and not their own.  But who among us hasn’t rejected the authority of those who just want a better life for us?

Where have you rejected authority to which you should have listened?  When has your authority in God been rejected?  Why is this a common human experience?

Second Thought:

I think that it is absolutely worth noting the way that Jesus speaks about gathering the people together.  It is not because of His own lack of desire that the people are not brought to Him!  He would have all people come to Him and come under God’s dominion.  However, Jesus says that it is the people who are not willing.  The people did not want to be gathered together!  What does this tell us?  God’s genuine desire is that we would all come to Him.  But He also gives us the free will to reject Him should we desire it.  It pains God to see this outcome.  However, we could not say that we truly love God if we did not have the opportunity to choose to love someone else instead.  God is willing, but we are not all willing to be embraced by Him.

Why is God willing to love you?  Why does God desire to gather you under His protection?  How do you see this played out in your life?  Do you allow yourself to be gathered by God?

Third Thought:

As Jesus speaks over Jerusalem, notice that He does not leave this thought on a tone of judgment.  Jesus hints at the fact that He will come again.  Furthermore, when He comes again – even the Jewish people will see Him for who He is.  They will then say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  God does not abandon His people.  Even though they reject Him and kill His Son, He does not abandon them.  It is not in His character to abandon those who reject Him.  He did not abandon them in Egypt.  Nor did He abandon them in Babylon.  God is always a God willing to give us another chance if we but turn in our ways to Him and recognize what He is trying to do in our life.

What does this passage truly say about the loving nature of God?  How does this thought help make the analogy of the hen even more fitting?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:1-8