The Lament over Jerusalem - Luke 13: 31-35

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

Commentary

We are now in the second week of Lent. So we are following Jesus on his last journey to Jerusalem. In this scripture segment, some Pharisees come to Jesus and warn him to run away to be safe from Herod. And Jesus says, that is not part of the plan. My job is to go to Jerusalem regardless of what dangers may lurk there. Jerusalem has always killed the prophets, and they will kill me as well.

That is the basic story, but I would like to turn our attention to the very last sentence. “Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” In todays reading this is a statement made by Jesus to the Pharisees. They are standing right in front of him, yet he says, Ye shall not see me, until . . . What can he be thinking? They are right there. Clearly they already see him.

I would like to suggest that Jesus is referring to the fact that the Pharisees see him as the carpenter's son from Bethlehem, and he is waiting for them to see him as the risen Christ. That is a huge difference. Having been brought up in the church, we already know Jesus as the risen Christ. In fact we know it so surely we run the risk of losing something Jesus wants of us.

The statement that Jesus wants us to say is, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”. Now if I say those words, what I think I am saying is that there is, or at least will be such a person. Someone will come in the name of God. A spokesman. Maybe even an agent. Maybe his son! Furthermore, I am saying that such person will be Blessed. I see this person as good news. This person is blessed by God, and in turn I am blessed by his coming. This is important stuff.

Now lets go back and look at the beginning of the sentence. “Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say,”. . Jesus is telling us that we must believe in him on faith, BEFORE we ever get to see him. We believe before we get to see. Not the other way around. That's why it is called faith. And faith is what Jesus wants from us.
AMEN