Matthew Chapter 23: Verse 37 (NLT Translation)
“O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”
The preceding verses in this chapter the book of Matthew are sometimes referred to as ‘the seven woes.” Jesus chastises the religious leaders for their lack of integrity, moral character, their bad example and for the treatment of the people they are meant to be setting an example to. Most of all for the fact that the example they set was turning people away from God instead of drawing them closer. He certainly didn’t mince His words, but that doesn’t mean that He took pleasure in doing so.
He sought to correct them and point them in the right direction so that they could have the relationship with Him, and with the Father that He longed for them to have. The image of the hen gathering her chicks beneath her wings is indeed a powerful one.
But the sad thing is that it was the leaders themselves who chose to reject that relationship. They were so focused on their traditions and their own perception of what the Messiah would be like, that they didn’t appreciate that He was in their midst and showing them how to live. By rejecting Jesus, they cut their noses off to spite their faces, and missed out on the grace and love that was being offered to them. How that grieved Jesus.
We should never stay away from God if we feel convicted of sin, feel unworthy or doubtful, or even just a bit fed up. Just like the priests and the other religious leaders, by rejecting the chance to draw close to Jesus and allowing Him to make things right, we too may be cutting off our nose to spite our face. Instead, we can allow Jesus to draw us as close to Him as the hen gathers her chicks. He wants to do that, but will we let Him, or like the religious leaders of old, would we rather hold on to our own ways. It’s our choice.
Dear Lord,
What a lovely picture of Your grace and compassion. May I never think that I can’t avail myself of the love and protection of Jesus. I just need to coorie in. Help me never to take offence if You put Your finger on an area of my life that needs correction. I know that You do so with love and grace. Help me to be humble enough to accept it.
I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.