Luk 19:41-44 | KingComments | STEP | However impressive the testimony of the crowd may be and however justified it is that it is given of Him, the Lord knows that it is unfortunately only a superficial emotion. The reality is that they will reject Him. So when He approaches the city and sees it, He knows what the city will do to Him, and what the consequences will be for the city. Therefore, after the jubilation of His disciples we hear His weeping. The King weeps over the city. It is a repetition of the lamentation of the LORD, Yahweh , in Psalm 81 ( ), which is expressed even more strongly here because the greatest sin is now about to happen. His powerful testimony does not prevent Him from being deeply saddened by their rejection of Him. Weeping belongs to the announcement of judgment and to seeing things that throw reproach on the Lord ( ). A strict and just judgment must be given, but never harshly. The judgment concerns someone’s evil, the weeping concerns someone’s person. In Scripture there is always a perfect balance between the two. In Christ we see a wonderful and perfect harmony between anger and grieve ( ). The Lord expresses His intense desire that Jerusalem on “this day”, the day of salvation, on which God in Christ visits the city in grace, should nevertheless be able to know the things which makes for peace. Its peace is within reach. They only need to touch Him in faith, only to repent and accept God’s atonement in Him. But Jerusalem has no eyes to see. Christ has “no [stately] form or majesty” for them; there is in Him no “appearance” that people “should be attracted to Him” ( ). Because Jerusalem does not recognize what serves its peace, there can be no peace on earth. Jerusalem is still in that position. The Lord speaks of the dramatic consequences that His rejection will have for Jerusalem. He points forward to the days when their enemies will march against the city and besiege it. There will be no escape possible. Completely surrounded by enemies, they will get oppressed, to the point of suffocating. Finally, the city will fall and be levelled to the ground. Here the Lord points to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans almost forty years later. This judgment comes over them because they did not recognize the time when God in grace in Christ looked after them, that they were visited by God in Christ. They did not know Him, but rejected Him. Then there can be no other result than this. Who rejects peace, dies in battle.

‏ Luke 19:41-44

Lamentation of the Lord About Jerusalem

However impressive the testimony of the crowd may be and however justified it is that it is given of Him, the Lord knows that it is unfortunately only a superficial emotion. The reality is that they will reject Him. So when He approaches the city and sees it, He knows what the city will do to Him, and what the consequences will be for the city. Therefore, after the jubilation of His disciples we hear His weeping.

The King weeps over the city. It is a repetition of the lamentation of the LORD, Yahweh, in Psalm 81 (Psa 81:13), which is expressed even more strongly here because the greatest sin is now about to happen. His powerful testimony does not prevent Him from being deeply saddened by their rejection of Him. Weeping belongs to the announcement of judgment and to seeing things that throw reproach on the Lord (Phil 3:18).

A strict and just judgment must be given, but never harshly. The judgment concerns someone’s evil, the weeping concerns someone’s person. In Scripture there is always a perfect balance between the two. In Christ we see a wonderful and perfect harmony between anger and grieve (Mk 3:5).

The Lord expresses His intense desire that Jerusalem on “this day”, the day of salvation, on which God in Christ visits the city in grace, should nevertheless be able to know the things which makes for peace. Its peace is within reach. They only need to touch Him in faith, only to repent and accept God’s atonement in Him.

But Jerusalem has no eyes to see. Christ has “no [stately] form or majesty” for them; there is in Him no “appearance” that people “should be attracted to Him” (Isa 53:2b). Because Jerusalem does not recognize what serves its peace, there can be no peace on earth. Jerusalem is still in that position.

The Lord speaks of the dramatic consequences that His rejection will have for Jerusalem. He points forward to the days when their enemies will march against the city and besiege it. There will be no escape possible. Completely surrounded by enemies, they will get oppressed, to the point of suffocating. Finally, the city will fall and be levelled to the ground.

Here the Lord points to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans almost forty years later. This judgment comes over them because they did not recognize the time when God in grace in Christ looked after them, that they were visited by God in Christ. They did not know Him, but rejected Him. Then there can be no other result than this. Who rejects peace, dies in battle.