Sometimes I wonder if there were at least a few Pharisees who were not opposed to Jesus. “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’” Luke 13:31 This would at least give the appearance of concern for Jesus. I wonder if they were concerned for Jesus personally or if they were concerned for the people of Israel in general. All this kingdom talk might look like an uprising of the Jews against the Roman government. The Romans could come down hard on Jerusalem and destroy what was left of them.
Jesus, however, is not in a hurry to leave. “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” Luke 13:32-33 Why did Jesus say that? Was it his way of saying, “It is not Herod I am worried about? It is not Herod who will, in the end, kill me?”
“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.’” Luke 13:34-35 What tenderness and longing in Jesus for his people, the Jews! Since he is talking to Pharisees here, it seems that Jesus is saying to them that as leaders, they were not willing to encourage the people to hear his message of love and protection. In fact, they tried on every side to hinder it. I believe he is also telling them that the next time he comes to Jerusalem it will be to go to the cross – at their hands, not Herod’s. Once again, they are missing God’s redemption by getting rid of the messenger instead of repenting and turning to him.
I wonder if there is a message here for the leaders of our churches/denominations today. Who are the prophets among us and what is their message? Are the wise and learned among us babbling nonsense while the prophets are calling us back to repentance and turning our hearts back to God? And what are the church leaders doing with these prophets? How many times are they trying to silence them or yell louder to drown them out? How often are we allowing Satan to defeat us by keeping our focus on our arguments instead of on Christ’s love? When Jesus sent out the 72, he didn’t say, “Go argue theology with people.” Rather, he said, “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’” Luke 10:8 When will we learn that we are to bring healing to the sick and comfort to the lost? The kingdom of God is near – it is among us now. When we recognize God’s great love for us, we are compelled to tell others. In fact, nothing can stop us.
Today, Lord, help me to focus not on the sins of others that will be judged, but the sinners that need forgiveness. Fill me with the same longing that you had for Jerusalem – to gather the lost together under your wings. Lead the way. I choose to follow you today.
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