Thought on This Chapter
LK 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city,
and wept over it,
LK 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are
hid from thine eyes.
LK 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in
on every side,
LK 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and
thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Jesus knew all about this guilty city. He knew
all too well what they were about to do. He knew how they were going to
beat Him and mock Him and crucify Him. He also knew how God had shown
mercy to this city over and over again. Jesus had also preached to them
many times. He tried to reach them. They have had many opportunities
to repent and accept Jesus. But they refused. Even with the love and
power of God displayed before them, they still rejected Jesus.
Jesus then pronounces the destruction of the city.
This happened about 30 years later when Titus (a Roman general) destroyed the
city.
"The national wickedness is too great; the cup is full;
mercy is exhausted; and Jerusalem, with all her pride and splendor, the glory of
her temple, and the pomp of her service, must perish" - Albert Barnes.
The punishment to come is just to the crime.
However, Jesus took no pleasure in the knowledge. He beheld the city and
wept over it. Even after all the wrong they have done and even full well
knowing what they were about to do to Him. He still wept over them.
He still loved them. Even though they were terrible sinners, Jesus still
loved them. It is the same with us.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Thought On This Chapter
LK 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city,
and wept over it,
The context of verse 41 is the coming judgment of
Jerusalem.
LK 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are
hid from thine eyes.
LK 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in
on every side,
LK 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and
thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
This is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in
70 A.D. The reason for the judgment is given in verse 44, "because thou
knewest not the time of thy visitation". Their long awaited messiah had
finally come and they refused to see it. They rejected Jesus. God
was with them in the flesh and they did not accept Him. Now because of
their rejection judgment will come. God is righteous and He is just and so
justice must be meted out. Some will say, see how hard and uncaring God
is. Look again at verse 41. "And when he was come near, he beheld
the city, and wept over it,"
God is just, but He is also love. Jesus gave the
pronouncement of judgment upon Jerusalem weeping. The judgment was bathed
in tears. Their rejection of Jesus was wrong, it was a sin, and judgment
must come. But it did not come with a cold indifference. It came
with tears. It broke the heart of God, and Jesus wept.
Some will claim that a God of love can not throw people
into hell. Yes He can and He will. He is just, righteous, and holy
as well as love. He will throw those who reject Him into hell. But
He does not do it with glee. It does not bring God joy. God hates
the sin and will punish it, but He loves the sinner and will weep over them.
God loves the sinner and has went to great lengths to
keep men from going to hell. Jesus left the glories of heaven and went to
the cross to pay their sin penalty for the wages of sin is death. God gave
man His word in the scriptures and then God preserved them so man would have
them. God calls men to be preachers and missionaries. God sends
Christians out to the highways and hedges to witness. God gave man a
conscience and convicts men of their sin and their need for a Saviour. The
heavens declare His handy work to show man of His power and that He exists.
If a man rejects it all, he has in effect chosen to put himself in hell.
He goes their in opposition to the love of God that has pleaded with him to not
go to hell but to repent, accept Jesus and go to heaven.
God is love as well as just.
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King James Bible Main Index:
LK 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
LK 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
LK 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
LK 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
LK 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
LK 19:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
LK 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
LK 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
LK 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
LK 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
LK 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
LK 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
LK 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
LK 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
LK 19:15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
LK 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
LK 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
LK 19:18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
LK 19:19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
LK 19:20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
LK 19:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
LK 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
LK 19:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
LK 19:24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
LK 19:25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
LK 19:26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
LK 19:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
LK 19:28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
LK 19:29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
LK 19:30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
LK 19:31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
LK 19:32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
LK 19:33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
LK 19:34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
LK 19:35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
LK 19:36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
LK 19:37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
LK 19:38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
LK 19:39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
LK 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
LK 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
LK 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
LK 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
LK 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
LK 19:45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
LK 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
LK 19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
LK 19:48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
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LK 19:8 And
Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I
give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false
accusation, I restore him fourfold.
LK 19:9 And
Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he
also is a son of Abraham.
LK 19:10 For
the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Zacchaeus was a chief among the publicans. They
were hated by the people because they were crooked. They would overcharge
people on their taxes and pocket the difference.
They did not care about others or doing what was right.
Then Zacchaeus meets Jesus. And look at the
change.
He is now going to give half of all he owns to the
poor. He now has a concern for others.
And he is also going to make restitution to all the
people that he had taken money from falsely. He now has a concern for
doing what is right.
What a change. Jesus then says that salvation has
come to this house. It is not the works that Jesus is referencing.
It is the change of heart.
And a real salvation will result in a real changed
life. Behold all things are become new.
We don't work to get saved; we work because we are
saved.
Salvation is not a work matter. Salvation is a
heart matter.
Have you given your heart to Jesus?
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