Wednesday, April 08, 2009

The Lord's Last Sermon

A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Wasn't the Lord a bit harsh with these women? Why did he not accept their pity?

Nowhere in the scriptures are we told to feel sorry for the Lord Jesus. Rather, we read repeatedly that the Lord Jesus has compassion for his people—for us. About the Lord we read things like:
  • (Mat 9:36) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
  • (Mat 14:14) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
  • (Mat 15:32) Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
  • (Heb 4:15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses….

He sympathizes with us; he does not call us to feel sorry for him. Which is what the daughters of Jerusalem were doing.

For the rest of the sermon on this text, click here.