Read: Luke 13:31–35; 19:41–44
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Luke 13:34
Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He warned about its destruction. He talked of future tribulation through tears. He lamented the city He loved…a city that would never love him back. How often our great disappointments align with our greatest loves! The ones we love are the very ones we have the highest hopes for, and when those hopes are not realized our hearts can break. This was as true for Jesus as it is for us. Great lament might be the outcome of great love, but in the end, love is worth any price we must pay. Jerusalem might have disappointed Jesus, but Jesus never deserted Jerusalem.
What is your greatest love and your greatest lament?
Lord, I know what it feels like to have a broken heart. It is the pain born of dreams dashed and love lost. It is a feeling a person believes they will never recover from. It is as much a physical pain as an emotional one. Heartbreak can be so hurtful that we might even be tempted to believe it is not worth it in the end. But love is worth it, even though lament is so often love’s bedfellow. Lament always passes…Love endures. Thank You for that gift, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.