Luke 19:41 - 48

  Luke 19:41 - 48

It is hard not to notice that Luke places the lament of Jesus over the destruction of Jerusalem next to the cleansing of the Temple. In the time between the weeping over the destruction and the turning over of the table of the money changers Jesus, no doubt, had conversations, answered and/or asked questions and interacted with the crowds. But Luke records nothing till Jesus cleanses the temple.

The Jewish people, under the leadership of the religious leaders, we're on a collision course with Rome. That in and of itself was not a problem. But they were doing so outside of the will of God. Remember the God plus one is a majority and the “one” is not essentially needed. Within 40 years the Jews would find the city brutalized and ruined. The Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans is horrible to read. What makes it so especially terrible is that it was completely avoidable.

How could they have avoided the run and destruction? By following the message of the Savior, the gospel, the way of peace, by becoming Disciples of Christ. God's plan of redemption by the atoning death of His only begotten Son would have been accomplished even if Jesus were not rejected by the Jewish leadership. Had the Jewish people followed Christ they could have avoided their own ruin. History would be dramatically different but it would still accomplish the will of God the redemption by the sacrifice of Christ.

There's some correlation, some link between the misdirected religious life of the people which caused the rejection of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem. The misguided focus of the religious leaders and, as a result of their leadership, those they lead astray resulted in the ruin of the people.

This principle applies at every level individually, congregationally, and even nationally. When we fail to recognize and follow the Prince of Peace we ought not be surprised to find we are headed forward to conflict and our own destruction. In some way my current walk profoundly impacts a long-term distant future that I will never see with God.  Every moment must be submitted to the Prince of Peace.

“Lord in these confusing times help me follow the Prince of Peace. AMEN”