"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem....How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks...." (Matthew 23)
This is the strongest rebuke of religious Judaism in the Gospels. What I notice, however, every time I read Matthew 23 is the way His "Word" ends. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, weeps over the hypocrisy, the disobedience of His People. He did this so often in the Old Covenant Prophets.
You have probably heard the statement many times that "God hates sin but loves the sinner." We see this in Matthew 23. And, I can say that I see this in my walk with Him over the years. I have, "....sinned and fallen short of the glory of God", but many times I have heard, "O Woody, Woody, How often...." Repentance, yes, obedience yes, but even in the failures there will be from our King and Savior, Jesus Christ, "....How often...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I press on in You. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
