When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes . . .” Luke 19:41-42 (read vv. 28-48)

INTRO: We have been in the gospel of Luke for almost a year and for a majority of the time we’ve been on a road-trip with Jesus

Various sources of tension have expanded the plot as we’ve traveled along:

• people trying to figure out who Jesus is – and a few of them coming to faith in him
• Jesus’ mission to people on the margin of society
• his conflict with the religious classes
• Jesus’ own dark predictions about what will happen to him in Jerusalem

But now Jesus has reached his destination
– this is the point in the story where everything should resolve

Luke has developed the plot to create the impression now that Jesus has reached Jerusalem, something big is about to happen to him
– but something even bigger is about to happen to Jerusalem

Verses 28-36, We’re so used to hearing this story, we miss one important fact

It is unlike anything else in the story of Jesus – he never went for this kind of attention
– the pace of the story changes when he reaches the villages on outskirts of Jerusalem
– more details are given, and the preparations made for his entrance build suspense
– we are taken back to the importance of fulfilled prophecy as in the beginning of Luke’s gospel

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a cold, the foal of a Donkey. (Zech. 9:9)

In fact, Luke began his narrative in the temple and that is where it will eventually end
– it was necessary for Jesus to return here – and Luke makes his return BIG

Verses 37-40, For one brief moment, Jesus is the center of attention in Jerusalem

The slogan shouted by the crowd was specific and can be found in Psalm 118
– in times of celebration, pilgrims to Jerusalem would be greeted in this way
– according to the Midrash – people who lived in Jerusalem would welcome the visitors:

Jerusalem: “Save us, O Lord! (Hosanna!)”
Pilgrims: “So be it, Lord!”
Jerusalem: “Blessed is he who comes in his name!”
Pilgrims: “We bless you from the house of the Lord!”

The crowd changed the greeting by directing it to Jesus
– they also added something, which is a variation on the angel’s song in ch. 2

The Pharisees appear in the story one last time – and true to form they tell Jesus to rebuke his disciples
– some believers are always eager to hand out rebukes
– to squelch innovation or anything that doesn’t fit their system
– they are like the people described in Jeremiah who “handle the law” but do not know God (Jer. 2:8)

As we’ve seen before, people who try to tell Jesus what to do, never succeed
– “the stones” – I’m tempted to relate this to John’s statement in 3:8
– the point here: this event is of such cosmic significance that it can’t be silenced
– the people were responding to a divine impulse that ran through the created world

Verses 41-44, Here we come to the heart of this whole episode

I’m going to return here in a moment
– for now we just want to notice what happens when Jesus sees the city
– it is blind – has no idea of the seriousness of its present condition
– no idea of the meaning of this historic moment
– and no idea that the course it is on will lead to its total destruction

Verses 45-48, Jesus makes himself at home in temple, the heart of Jerusalem

Money-changing and selling ritual animals were legitimate services
– but like other legitimate services, they easily could be abused – especially when

• culprits are able to monopolize the services
• it has the advantage of providing a convenience or resolving desperation
• it caters especially to foreigners

Had the temple become too much associated with money and finances?
– during Roman assault on Jerusalem, rebels entered temple and burned the debt records archived there

What Jesus points out in the verses he quotes is related to his reason for weeping over the city
– the temple was a contradiction: what it was designed to be and what it had become
– “you have made it” – they were responsible for the change — they had made it a robbers’ den

This section ends with Jesus teaching in the temple under shadow of his enemies

CONC: Let’s return to the passage for an ariel view

Luke has structured the first part of the story around Jesus’ “approach” to Jerusalem
– he uses the word three times and in each stage it draws a verbal reaction:

• 29, Bethany, “Why are you untying the colt”
• 37, the descent of the Mt of Olives – a dual reaction
  1.) The crowd, “began to praise God joyfully”
  2.) The Pharisees, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples”
• 41, the city, he wept over it
  – and as I’ve said, this is the heart of this episode

Imagine standing nearby when Jesus caught sight of Jerusalem — we’re watching him cry
– what is tearing him up inside?
– the contradiction between what God meant for the holy city to be and what it was

Jerusalem had another name, “Zion”
– Zion was a dream, an ideal – a society of humans where heaven coexisted with earth
– in the same way paradise could be a garden, Zion could be a city
– this was the creative vision God had given to the psalmists and the prophets
But the leaders of Israel had lost the vision, the dream of Zion, and so it became something else

Now imagine Jesus weeping over a human life
– God had a design for this man, but he took a different road – made himself something else

We come to intersections where we can take one road or the other
– from the road we take, we can’t see the other – we do not know what might have been
– “If you had known . . . hidden from your eyes . . . you did not recognize”
– its tragic when we have only one view of our life and it’s a false one
Jesus weeps over the person who ruins a life that could have been meaningful

I have not done everything I’m capable of accomplishing
– the question is, Am I moving in the right direction? Or am I moving further from God’s dream?

What are verses 45-48? They are hope!

1. Jesus moves into the heart of what is wrong and shakes it up (greed, etc.)
   – this is not a permanent change – it’s up to them to carry on what he started
2. Jesus gives them the instruction they need to no longer be unaware
   – awareness is vital to the process of change
   – we must bring awareness to our situation in life

What was Jesus teaching them? He was teaching them to dream

“Creative passion in life depends on the ability to dream, no matter whether the dream be of a society or a great man. A teacher who does not know how to teach us to dream, to conjure up ideal visions, is not worth of the name.” Helmut Thielicke

The NASB did not translate verse 48 literally – the people were not “hanging on to every word he said”
– they were hanging on to him – attentive to his teaching, yes
– but Jesus is salvation and it is by hanging on to him that we move into a position where it is possible to fulfill our destiny

And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, ad was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. Luke 19:2-3 (read verses 1-27)

INTRO: These stories of personal encounters with Jesus build our faith in a way that is unique to anything else in the New Testament

Jesus in front of the crowds is the Founder of our religion
– but Jesus one-to-one with people is the foundation of our hope

It isn’t simply that Jesus had time for individuals
– but these encounters reveal the essence our life with God
– it consists of ongoing interaction with Jesus Christ

The heart of Christian spirituality is knowing Jesus
– but there is more to it than knowing him – there is living the life of Christ Continue reading →

And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. Luke 18:15 (read vv. 15-43)

INTRO: This passage is about gatekeepers, followers, and being “saved”

Verses 15-17, Children are frequently blocked at the gate

Parents were bringing their children to be touched by Jesus
– his healing ministry began with touch (Lk. 4:40; 5:13) and power was released through him by touch (8:46)
– these parents wanted a blessing for their children – in some cases, a healing
I suffered many childhood illnesses, and each time, my grandmother came to pray for me
– I can still feel the gentle pressure of her hand on my forehead
– imagine the fingertips of Jesus on your forehead, or his palm on the top of your head Continue reading →

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart Luke 18:1 (read vv. 1-14)

INTRO: When I was first starting out in the ministry and trying to teach others how to pray,

I would make statements, like, “Prayer does not need to be fancy,” and “You don’t have to say anything holy, just talk to God”
– that statement is deceptively simple
– how do we know if we are talking to God or to the air? or to ourselves? Continue reading →

The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, “Look, here it is! or, “There it is!” For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. Luke 17:20-1 (read verses 20-37)

INTRO: I have frequently been asked why I think my dad’s church grew so rapidly

Among the other lame answers I give, I explain that most of the rapid growth occurred during what was an apocalyptic era
– the revolutionary 1960’s that ended in many shattered dreams
– the youth were looking for an authority who understood the times, who seemed to have a handle on what was next
– in the late 60’s, Dad began emphasizing biblical prophecy — current events had a purpose, an apocalyptic meaning
– like others, he was inspired by Israel’s 1967 war and once again having Jerusalem under their control Continue reading →

He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!” Luke 17:1 (read vv. 1-19)

INTRO: A friend of mine mentioned a book to me about jerks in the workplace

In it, the author says, “More and more evidence keeps emerging that power causes people to be more focused on their own needs, less focused on others’ needs, and to ack like ‘rules don’t apply to me’ . . . .” Experiments “also show when people get a little power, they feel less compassion when hearing others talk about painful experiences, such as the death of a friend.” (Robert Sutton)

Moving up the ladder in status, position, or income changes a person
– not in the ways we tend to assume – that is, they do not become more generous, but less Continue reading →

There was a rich man . . .” Luke 16:1 (read entire chapter)

INTRO: Francis Schaeffer once said: “We are often told, ‘You can’t take it with you.’ But this is not true. You can take it with you–if you are a Christian.”

Of course, the truth of this statement depends on what we mean by “it”
– regarding whatever money we accumulate, we can’t take it with us
– but we can send it ahead – or something like that

That is the message in the first part of this chapter
– the second half is about regret
– what is regret? It is a feeling of disappointment or sadness over: Continue reading →

Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2 (read entire chapter)

INTRO: We are going to enter this chapter at an unusual point

I want to begin with you . . . and  your most sincere honesty

1. Do you believe people accept you unconditionally as you are?
   – think of the attention we give to our appearance before going out
2. Do you accept yourself unconditionally as you are?
   – I don’t mean, that you can’t think of any more improvements to make, but your core self Continue reading →

Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:2-3 (read chapter 13)

INTRO: When Barb got home from work yesterday evening, the first thing she did was look for more news regarding the downed helicopter in Afghanistan

An unusual loss like that grabs our attention
– we are moved by empathy for those who died and feel like we’ve lost a part of ourselves

But I also think we have a built-in mechanism to keep tragedies like that at a distance
– “It happened far away,” we tell ourselves, or, “They were soldiers in combat,” etc.
– we look for explanations to reassure ourselves (and our children) that this kind of thing cannot happen to us Continue reading →

Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us or to everyone else as well?” Luke 12:41 (read verses 41-48)

INTRO: Peter’s question brings something to our attention

That during this teaching session, there were two groups present

– v. 1, the crowd, in which people were climbing over each other to get to Jesus, and the disciples

(in v. 13 we are reminded of the crowd, but in v. 22 Jesus addressed the disciples)

Peter’s question serves an important function: it clarifies who it is that Jesus is trying to instruct and influence

I have heard preachers relativize the teaching of Jesus by isolating passages that, they say, were meant only for the disciples, suggesting they were called to a greater commitment than the rest of his followers Continue reading →