As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41-42
Dear Lord Jesus, everything about Holy Week reveals the riches of your mercy for sinful, broken people, just like me. The tears you wept coming into Jerusalem, the anger you showed driving money changers from the temple—every encounter, parable, and action underscore Paul’s words…
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8).
Jesus, with no hesitation I gladly affirm, Paul was writing about me with those words. I’m one of the powerless, ungodly sinners for whom you died. Your death on the cross is the indisputable demonstration of God’s incomparable, irrepressible, indefatigable love for me—the rebel, fool and idolater that I am. I wasn’t God’s darling when you reconciled me to him through your death on the cross; I was his enemy (Rom. 5:10). May I never believe otherwise.
I would still be blind to the only thing that can bring peace if you hadn’t opened my eyes to see my need for you and your death for me. The gospel would still remain hidden from my eyes unless you’d given me sight to see you as the Lamb of God—the one who, alone, could take away my sin.
I have no right to sneer at a single Pharisee, Sadducee, priest, teacher of the law, or anyone else who tried to trick or trap you during Holy Week. I am just as worthy of judgment as any of them.
Jesus, how I long for the day when I’ll no longer even be tempted to look for peace anywhere else but in you. I yearn for the day when I’ll see you as you really and fully are, and I will be made like you (1 John 3:1-3). This is my great, great hope—you will bring to completion the good work you began in me. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Until that day, keep healing the eyes of my heart of all spiritual myopia, astigmatism, or anything else that keeps me from seeing the magnificence of your glory and the measure of your grace. So very Amen I pray, in your tenacious and tender name.
