Day 22
Start with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)
Read Scripture: Luke 19:41-48
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
Devotional:
Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem as the prophecy was being fulfilled. The Jewish leaders had rejected their king. They stood in his presence and still didn’t recognize him. They were more concerned about losing their power and position because the people were listening to his words about injustice that tended to focus on the poor and opposed.
Many years later, the nation of Israel would continue in despair. The Jews would continue to see destruction in their path. Rome continued to attack and destroy Israel for many years until the AD 70 when 600,000 Jews were killed under the onslaught of Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian.
Often we see the suffering of many including ourselves because of the choices we made against Jesus or in the name of Jesus.
Questions to ponder:
- What choices do we tend to make for our own position and power instead of following what Jesus taught?
- Given this passage, what is the best way for you to pray today?
End with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)
