Today’s Reading:
Luke 13:31-35 (34)
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (v. 34)
Have you ever gotten to the end of your rope? — I have done what I needed to: I have graduated from high school, finished college, got a master’s and doctorate degrees; I have worked, become a licensed professional, and developed into a good project manager. And after all that, after everything that I think that I can do, I look at Jesus and ask, “What more do you want from me? What more do I have to do?”
God want from me nothing and yet everything. I cannot offer to God anything that will add to Him, anything that will make Him greater or more glorious and anything that isn’t already perfected in Him. I cannot offer to God anything except what He has given to me. In the words of King David, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chron. 29:14). Any gift—any “talent”—is not my own, but is entrusted to me by my Master. So I have nothing that God needs.
This stands in contrast to a pagan view of God. The pagan view is that God can be appeased. When He is angry, he can be mollified. God wants everything from us. And you know what? He started it! He gave us “immeasurably more than all we [could] ask [for] or imagine” (Eph. 3:20). God started giving. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). He died for you and he died for me.
Christ looks at you and me and he longs—he doesn’t wish, want, or merely try—but he longs to gather us together to him. Not to abuse me as I abused him; not to embarrass me for my failures; not to condemn me as one worthy of death. Jesus want to gather us together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, to protect, watch over, guard, and love us. He wants to gather as the hen, which protects even at the risk of her own life, which shelters from storm, which offers her warmth and comfort. He offers as the hen, which stands to gain nothing from her chicks.
Jesus longs to gather us, as did the father of the prodigal son. Christ stands looking for us, waiting for us, and he is filled with compassion when he sees us. He runs to us, embraces us, and kisses us; Christ himself has removed the estrangement between us and His heart breaks to see our predicament. He robes us, gives us a ring and sandals, and kills the fattened calf for us. For us! O Jesus, what must I do? What do you want from me? What could I do?
Jesus’ love of Jerusalem is evident and yet it is also evident that judgement must come. It will not be held back forever. Jerusalem, having refused the prophets, apostles (those sent), having spurned God’s attempts to gather her children together, will find her house desolate. And what is desolation? It is deserted, forlorn, laid waste, lonely, abandoned. The desolate house is the house lacking the presence of Christ. He stands at the door and knocks. He speaks, calls us. He does not let us alone unless we so choose. And even then, he upholds and watches us.
Now is the acceptable time (cf. 2 Cor. 6:2). God wants to gather us together. There is no tomorrow, no second chance; yesterday is gone. Our acceptance of God is not a one-time occurrence; it is not a magical act that makes you a Christian, a little Christ. God calls us to Himself many times every day, and each calling is an opportunity to either gather together under his wings, or to refuse Him.
SUNDAY OWOLABI
Prayer:
1. O Lord, I dedicate my life unto you, in Jesus name.
2. My life must not be desolate of your presence O Lord, in Jesus name
3. O Lord, let be among those whom you will gathered when you come again, in Jesus name.
4. Compassion must always be found in your Church, in Jesus name
5. I declare our nation for Jesus Christ, in Jesus name.
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