“Jesus longs to gather us under his wings into a place of comfort and protection, healing and hope.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 27, 2023
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Matthew 23:37, ESV
It’s difficult to succinctly summarize the message of the Old Testament, especially given the wide range of genres, time periods, and contexts contained therewithin. However, were we to take a stab at it, viewing it through the lens of Matthew 23:37 would not be a bad place to start. Here, in a single verse, our Lord Jesus cuts to the heart of the great ailment that plagues God’s people, as well as pointing again to the steadfast love of God in the face of our own stubbornness and rebellion.
In Jesus’ day, Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. Under the reign of David and Solomon, the wandering tribes of Israel who worshiped the LORD in a movable tabernacle centered their worship of God on the newly established temple of God, built upon Mt. Zion (another name for Jerusalem). This was meant to be a celebration and triumph of God dwelling in their midst, yet wave after wave of rebellion led to their eventual exile and the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians. And though Herod later rebuilt the temple, the same pattern of rebellion and disobedience persisted, to the point that Jesus summarizes the identity of Jerusalem, and by extension the entire people of God, as those that “kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to it.”
And yet, though Israel’s rebellion and rejection of God continued, so too did the unwavering mercy of God. Sin. Rebellion. Mercy. Repentance. Renewal. These are the themes that define the story of Israel, and in truth, the heart of our own lives with God in the present day.
Who among us hasn’t been guilty of rejecting the love and mercy of God? We are far too often lost in our own vanity and self-love, deaf to the words of life that our Lord speaks over the creation that he loves. Even this very moment our Lord Jesus stands at the ready, longing to gather us under his wings into a place of comfort and protection, healing and hope. Today, reflect upon this great mystery of God’s love, and prayerfully turn Jesus’ ancient words into a prayer for this very moment: are you willing to be gathered in by the love of God?
Prayer
Father, thank you for your unwavering mercy and love, that extends to me even this very moment. Give me a willing heart that is quick to respond and turn to you, I pray through Christ my Lord. Amen.
Application
Are you willing to be gathered under the wing of Jesus?
Related Reading
Micah 4:1; John 14:23; 1 Peter 3:18
Worship Resource
Shane & Shane: Power of the Cross
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