41-42 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade round you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. 44 And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

45-46 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them,  “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’, but you have made it a den of robbers.” 47-48 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. Luke 19:41-48 (English Standard Version)

The gospel of John says that when Mary, whose brother Lazarus had died earlier in the week, fell weeping at the feet of Jesus, and He saw her and those who were with her weeping, “He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” And when they took Him to the tomb were Lazarus had been laid, John tells us that “Jesus wept”. (John 11:33-35) While I can't say for sure, I suspect He wept over the pain and sorrow that sin and death had brought into the world. But what was the reason for His tears in vs 41-44 of today’s post?

He knew the awful fate that awaited Jerusalem, the city that was meant to be the joy of all the earth and where God had made His name to dwell. The things He said would happen all took place when Jerusalem was devastated by the Romans in AD 70. What was the tragic reason for this terrible event? (vs 44)

The people, particularly the leaders, had not recognized who it was who was in their midst. After the man called John the Baptizer was born, his father Zechariah prophesied and said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.” (Luke 1:68) John would be the herald to announce the arrival of God's King. But despite that prophecy, the people still missed their opportunity. And their crucifying of Christ would be, as it were, the last straw.

The incident that followed in vs 45-46 was something Jesus had also done on an earlier occasion when He went to the temple in Jerusalem. It highlighted the reason why the temple would eventually be destroyed. Verses 47-48 describe what took place in the short period of time between entering Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey with the praise of many, to when He would be nailed to a cross to the jeers of others. But in those final days He still taught many wonderful things that caused people to hang on His words.

There's another time when tears are spoken of when Jesus was present. In Luke Chapter 23 we read that as He was led to crucifixion a great multitude of people followed, including women who were mourning and lamenting for Him. But, turning to them, Jesus said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ “ (Luke 23:28-29)

There's a hymn that puts it this way: “For me it was in the garden, that He prayed: 'Not my will, but Thine' - He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat-drops of blood for mine.” The Chorus of that hymn says: “How marvellous, how wonderful - and my song shall ever be: How marvellous, How wonderful, is my Saviour’s love for me!” Jesus showed such compassion for sinners. If any one who is not a Christian happens to read this post – oh please, don't miss the time of visitation! Call upon this wonderful Saviour today to forgive you for all your sins.