Luke 19:37-48: a reflection

37As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!” 39Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.” 41When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. 43For the days will come on you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, 44and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.” 45He entered into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!” 47He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him. 48They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem amid the crowd's rejoicing, he weeps over the city, grieving that it did not recognize the time of God's visitation, the things that would have made for its peace. When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Even as the crowds hailed him, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, grieving that the city was missing him, missing the very things that would give it peace, failing to recognize the time of God's visitation come among them. His were the tears of one who longed for their good and grieved that they were missing it. This shows Christ's grieving love over those who miss the time of God's visitation. Christ wept over those who missed the time of God's visitation. Jesus grieved that the city missed what made for its peace. Christ's tears are for those who fail to recognize him. Christ grieves over those who miss God's visitation.

Notice that Jesus wept over Jerusalem even in the midst of rejoicing. The crowds were praising God, hailing him as the coming King; and yet Jesus, seeing the city, wept, because he saw what they did not: that they were missing the time of their visitation, the coming of God among them in himself, and with it the things that would have made for their peace. His tears were not for himself but for them, out of a love that longed for their good and grieved that they were missing it, that these saving realities were hidden from their eyes. This reveals the heart of Christ: not indifferent to those who miss him, but grieving over them with tears, longing for their peace. And it is sobering, for it warns of the tragedy of missing the time of God's visitation, of failing to recognize God when he comes to us, of missing the things that make for our peace. Christ still comes to us, still visits us with his grace; and it is a real and grievous thing to miss him, to fail to recognize the time of his visitation. Christ grieves over such missing, and calls us not to miss him. Christ grieves with tears over those who miss the time of his visitation. Do not miss the time of God's visitation and the things that make for your peace. Christ's heart longs for our good and grieves when we miss him. It is a tragedy to fail to recognize God when he comes to us.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ grieves with love over those who miss the time of God's visitation, and it is a real tragedy to fail to recognize him when he comes, as Jesus wept over Jerusalem for missing what made for its peace. We can miss the time of God's visitation, failing to recognize Christ when he comes to us with grace, missing the things that make for our peace; but Jesus wept over Jerusalem for just this, out of a love that longed for their good. Christ still comes to us. Do not miss the time of God's visitation; recognize Christ when he comes, and receive the things that make for your peace. Do not miss the time of God's visitation or fail to recognize Christ when he comes to you with grace, receiving the things that make for your peace, as Jesus, approaching Jerusalem amid the crowd's rejoicing, wept over the city, saying, if you had known the things that belong to your peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes, grieving that the city was missing him and the time of its visitation; for even as the crowds hailed him, Christ wept out of a love that longed for their good and grieved that they were missing what would give them peace, which reveals a heart not indifferent to those who miss him but grieving over them with tears, and warns us of the real and grievous tragedy of missing the time of God's visitation, of failing to recognize God when he comes to us, since Christ still comes to us and visits us with his grace, so that we do well not to miss him but to recognize the time of his visitation and receive the peace he brings.

Lord Jesus, as you approach Jerusalem amid the crowd's rejoicing, you weep over the city, grieving that it did not recognize the time of God's visitation, the things that would have made for its peace. When you came near, you saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Even as the crowds hailed you, you wept over Jerusalem, grieving that the city was missing you, missing the very things that would give it peace. Yours were the tears of one who longed for their good and grieved that they were missing it. Show me that you wept over Jerusalem even in the midst of rejoicing. The crowds were praising God, hailing you as the coming King; and yet you wept, because you saw what they did not: that they were missing the time of their visitation, and with it the things that would have made for their peace. Your tears were not for yourself but for them, out of a love that longed for their good. This reveals your heart: not indifferent to those who miss you, but grieving over them with tears. And it is sobering, for it warns of the tragedy of missing the time of God's visitation, of failing to recognize you when you come. You still come to me, still visit me with your grace; and it is a real and grievous thing to miss you. Take that to my heart, for you grieve with love over those who miss the time of your visitation. Keep me from missing the time of your visitation or failing to recognize you when you come to me with grace; help me recognize you, Lord, and receive the things that make for my peace, mindful of your tears over those who miss you, and not missing you as Jerusalem did.