Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem
From the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13, verses 22 & 31-35
Jesus went to one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way toward Jerusalem. He knew trouble was waiting for him in the Holy City.
One day, a group of Jewish leaders came to Jesus. They said, "Get out of here, Jesus! Run! Hide yourself! The Roman leader, King Herod, wants to kill you. Even now, his soldiers are looking for you. If they find you, they will arrest you."
(Herod knew that Jesus was becoming very popular with many people. Everywhere Jesus went, he drew big crowds. This worried Herod and made him angry. He didn't want people to pay more attention to Jesus than they did to him.)
Jesus told the Jewish leaders, "Here's what I want you to tell Herod: 'Listen up, you sly fox! I am really busy healing sick people and helping them get back on track with their lives. But soon my work will be finished. Then I will come to Jerusalem and you and I will meet face to face. When I get to Jerusalem, I will deal with whatever you've got planned for me.'"
Jesus was angry. He was also sad. He loved the holy city of Jerusalem very much. He knew that for many, many years, God's people had found a special connection to God in Jerusalem. He himself felt very close to God when he was in Jerusalem. But he also knew that over the years much violence had taken place in Jerusalem.
Jesus began to pray. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and many who are sent to it! How often I have wanted to gather your people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing! Jerusalem, God's beloved city, the next time you see me you will say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Questions to think and pray about:
Have you ever had to deal with trouble in your life? How did you get through it?
Do you remember what happened to Jesus when he finally got to Jerusalem?
Have you ever had the experience of someone pulling you close, offering you the shelter of his or her embrace?
Do you ever feel that Jesus pulls you close to him, like a mother hen pulls her chicks close to her?