As we live this earthy faith carved out by the cross of Jesus, we hear heart-wrenching words of sadness and regret expressed by the Messiah over his holy city this morning. With the image of a mother-hen wanting to protect her young, Jesus declares this city to be a ‘city of ruins’ that will one day soon end up that very thing, and yet, that there will be another visit to this same city that will bring something more.

This city has a long story of consistent rebellious heart and rejecting behaviour perpetrated. Jesus names that and weeps for it. But the weeping is for something greater.

Jesus weeps for what could have been if the city had been true to its calling from God. This city was never meant to only be a fine city of God’s blessing, but a city of light in a dark world. This city was never established by the Lord to just be rich and healthy and happy. It was always meant to be a city for the world; for a dark world, for a world living in the valley of the shadow of death. And so, the Messiah weeps for his city and for what could have been. But then, of course, he will say and do more; more than anyone in this city ever thought possible.

Our world is in many ways a ‘city of ruins’ with all of its ‘Herod types’ trying to fix problems by silencing the weeping Saviour and controlling life by violence, power,
greed and the like. Often I am a ‘city of ruins’ as I try the same things. But Jesus points to another day when he will enter this same city for the final time – and amazingly, not to destroy it or condemn it and leave it to the foxes, but to lift it up to a whole new life and work. Praying you are lifted up to be reborn for your calling to be God’s city of light among the city of ruins in which you live.

Pastor Adrian