“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”
Luke 13:34
God’s people — at the time of Jesus, the nation of Israel — had been chosen and called to be a light to the nations. Their temple was supposed to be a house of prayer for all people. They were designed to give a glimpse of God’s Kingdom here on earth. But they missed the point.
It broke Jesus’ heart.
They focused more on rules than relationships. They were more interested in looking good than doing good. They were more interested in those who were already “in” than they were about those who were left “out.”
I wonder if Jesus has a similar feeling about the people of God — the church — in this generation. Are we (am I) . . .
- more focused on rules than relationships?
- more concerned with looking good than doing good?
- more interested in those who are “in” than those who are left “out”?
Dr. Paul McGuinness 