Luke 19:39-44 - Weeping over Jerusalem

19:39,40

As always the Pharisees were casting their baleful eye over proceedings, and they told Jesus to rebuke His disciples. So we see that the crowd consisted of a whole mixture of people, disciples of Jesus, hangers on and Pharisees. The reasons for the Pharisees reaction is probably twofold. First they saw Jesus as a threat to their own position, and as effectively recognising Him as the Messiah, which they did not want. Secondly, they may have been worried about the reaction of the Romans. They did not want the Romans thinking there was an uprising in Jerusalem.

Jesus dismisses their instruction, declaring that if the crowd kept quiet the stones themselves would utter praise. Jesus knew the significance of what was happening, and creation was made by the Lord and through the Lord and for the Lord. So men’s efforts to stop Jesus being praised are ultimately futile.

19:41-44

When Jesus saw the city He wept over Jerusalem. In the very near future He was going to endure acute physical, emotional and spiritual agony, but His weeping is over what is going to happen to Jerusalem. We see here some important aspects of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Jesus knew what was going to happen in AD66-70, when Rome would besiege and then destroy the city with terrible suffering. Yet the responsibility lies with Jerusalem. They had the chance to avoid it. This is the real tragedy. If only they had recognised Jesus for who He is, if only they had recognised their own sin and need of forgiveness all this could have been avoided. So an onslaught on Jerusalem would happen, and it would happen because they “did not recognise the time of God’s coming”.

This, of course, raises many questions in us, perhaps most of all “how could God will such a thing?” There is no easy answer, but the question itself actually points to the problem. We look to God and say “how could God”, or  “why doesn’t God ...” What we need to do is to look at ourselves and ask “what should I do”, “what could I do”. You see God created us in His own image, He gave us responsibility, responsibility we were meant to exercise under His lordship. But we chose to rebel, and as with most rebels, we then start denying all responsibility, seeking to blame someone else. We do not realise what a wonderful creation God made, and what a wonderful part we would have had in it, as creatures made in His image. Some may argue about how can we be free if we are under His Lordship? Well, look at Jesus. He is the freest man whoever walked on planet earth, and He lived his life under perfect lordship to His Father.

Israel’s rebellion against God was a tragedy, our rebellion against God is a tragedy, but it is a tragedy we can choose to end by repenting and believing.