Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 23 verses 37 through 39:
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
This morning's readings are full of hard sayings by Jesus against the leaders and city of Jerusalem. He prophesies destruction. He speaks of the murder of the prophets. He refuses to be silent when his right to speak is called into question. This is not the "little Jesus meek and mild". And I can only imagine what the money changers in the Temple must have made of him.
This Scripture from the end of chapter 23 in Matthew is a poignant one. After a full day -- three full years; 33 years! -- of conflict with the powers that be, the warning of the peoples, organizing, and preaching, and hiding, indirect and direct action, and visions, and nightmares about the future, Jesus speaks tenderly of his beloved Jerusalem. He cries. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem," the words echo like those of David in the loss of his son, "Absalom, Absalom." This is more than a diatribe. It is prophetic lament. It is the pain of seeing his nation and its leaders fail him and his people again and again.
At Congressman John Lewis's funeral President Obama eulogized him by saying, "He loved America until America learned to love him back."
What we see with Jesus is the anguish of a son who has not yet been loved by his nation. It is the anguish of a mother who warns and wants to protect her child, but her child will not listen. And by mother's intuition, she knows tragedy is ahead.
Tragedy is never inevitable. Even at this late, 11th hour there is still a choice. Closed ears can still hear the prophets' warning, hard hearts can still be softened by the tender love and even anguish of God.
How God desires to gather her children as a hen gathers here brood under her wings. How God desires that we should live in peace, and harmony, and safety there. How God desires us to live in "shalom" and to be "Jerusalem", the "city of shalom".
How God desires this. For the arms are wide open. And so is the heart. But it's our choice to make. Peace is our choice.
And we must decide.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will read Mark chapter 13.
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