Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
Palm Sunday began with praise and celebration. The king has come. Hosanna in the highest!
But this day ends with tears because they didn't recognize who had ridden into Jerusalem. They rejected their Messiah! But they missed even more than that. Did you notice that last phrase of verse 44- "because you did not recognize the time of GOD'S coming to you." God had been in their midst providing salvation and offering to be their king and they said, "no".
The sad end of this story is in John 19:15- "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
They rejected the king of the universe, and were left with the king they most wanted to be rid of.
It seems that when I reject God's best what I end up with is a sad substitute. And so, Jesus wept over Jerusalem...and Israel missed the very king they were looking for.....
I wonder how often I miss him in my life?
1 comment:
Mike,
Thanks for an excellent blog series. I have been sick and wasn't able to attend a service Sunday, so the Palm Sunday lesson was especially appreciated. (Although I heard from my husband that I missed a very, very good one.) I am amazed that the Jewish people could so easily miss the obvious, and yet reminded that so often we see exactly what we are looking for, not necessarily what is really there. Hmmm...maybe I'll write a blog about my cloud theory.
Thanks again!
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