The City of Jerusalem and God’s people had a long history of rebelling against God, refusing the ways of peace and justice.
In Luke’s Gospel, the only way for the city and the Temple to avoid destruction was to welcome Jesus as God’s envoy of peace and to follow his ways. But all the signs indicated that they would not choose
this.
When a nation rebels against God and rejects God’s ways, that nation is doomed to fail.
This text gives us a glimpse of what Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem will mean. Israel’s greatest crisis is approaching, and Jesus urgently summons them to repent and turn to his kingdom, his way of peace and justice.
As we journey through Lent, we already know what awaits us at the end of this season – Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and tragic death on the cross.
The tragedy is that even after Jesus’ urgent words to prepare God’s people, most of them refused to listen and respond, which ultimately led to the arrest and crucifixion of the one who came to save them.
How often do we follow Jerusalem’s path of rebelling against God in our words, actions, and priorities? How can we use this season of Lent to ensure that we live lives of repentance and always turn towards God’s kingdom ways of peace and justice?
Reflections by Joe Taylor
