Did E’er Such Love and Sorrow Meet?

Was there ever a passage with so much emotion?

Jesus’ death was no accident. Not even a simple miscarriage of justice, though it was that. He knew what he had come to do, and ironically, not even the Pharisees’ warning that Herod was out for his life could deter him from giving his life. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem. He gave his life for us. It was not taken from him.

Jesus’ words here are reminiscent of the parable he told of the absentee landlord. Remember the story in Matthew 21:33-44 of the man who left his orchard in the care of tenants? When sent messengers to collect the fruit, the tenants murdered them. Finally, he sent his son, and they murdered him, too.

Jesus is, of course, speaking of himself.

In the Old Testament, stoning was prescribed as the punishment for blasphemy. The Pharisees had been accusing Jesus of blasphemy for some time (see Luke 5:21), and blasphemy would be the charge on which he was finally sentenced to death (Matthew 26:65).

What tragic irony! The religious leaders couldn’t see that Jesus’ loving actions revealed that he was the Son of God, so they killed him for claiming it falsely.

You would think that Jesus would be frustrated with them and angry. But he wept over Jerusalem. Such was his love for God’s people, these very people who were so blinded by their own preconceived notions of what God was like that they could not recognize him when he stood in their midst. They sealed their own fate. As we saw in yesterday’s reading, the kingdom would be taken away from them and given to Gentiles who believed (Matthew 21:43).

He weeps over us, too, whenever we fail to recognize him. Do you ever think that God is angry with you for something you did? His anger is tears—and a plea to come back to him.

Respond in Prayer

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see you. I want to hear your voice. Forgive me for the times I have chosen my own preconceived ideas and shut you out. Your love for me is past anything I can understand. Amen.

Annabel Robinson

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).