Jesus Lament over Jerusalem

God's People Worship
The Prophet and Praise
Joyful  Worship Restored

Genesis 1:1-2

Matthew 23:29-39

The Message

^29-32 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.
^33-34 “Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It’s on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.
^35-36 “You can’t squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah’s son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I’m telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation.
^37-39 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I’m out of here soon. The next time you see me you’ll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He’s come, bringing God’s rule!’”

For Reflection

Christ's criticism of the Jewish organized religion is also valid when aimed at today's institutional Christian church.  As a matter of fact, the evolution of organized Christianity may be characterized by corruption and distortion of the meaning of the Christ event.  Assignations, mass murder, torture, political corruption, abuse of power, wars, were committed in God's name. The Church is not exempt from human failure, corruption and sin.  But, through it all, the true God survives. His mission endures.

The imperfection in organized religion is no reason to blame God or abandon one's faith.  Indeed, it is all the more reason to participate in the evolution to bring about reconciliation in the New Jerusalem and to cut through the fog of the imperfect church and work for justice, freedom; and compassion found only in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. 

Pray

for the Church.  Pray for church leaders.  Pray that the church will find ways to resolve conflict that achieve God's sense of justice, compassion and peace. Pray for the church emerging in this new modern age.  Pray that people all over the world will find a sustaining faith in God and in his intentions for human kind.