"You did not recognize the time of God's coming to you," (Luke 19:44).
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and the Cross when he spoke these words. He was standing on the Mt. of Olives looking across the Kidron valley at the city of Jerusalem. The outstanding feature of his view would have been the Temple of Jerusalem; the symbol of the Jewish faith.
In a few hours he would enter the city. He would go to the courts of the Temple and turn over the tables of the moneychangers and drive out those selling animals for sacrifice. As he did, he would quote two verses from the Old Testament prophets: "My house shall be a house of prayer" but you have turned it into "a den of robbers."
Everything the Jewish people had been called to fulfill in the covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David rested on their response to this man who was about to enter Jerusalem. Unfortunately, they are not going to recognize the time of God's coming to them. They will ultimately reject Jesus as Messiah and hand him over to the Romans to be crucified. This didn't take God by surprise. And he would use the unbelief of the Jews to open the door to all humanity. The synagogue and the Temple were strictly Jewish. The church would be open to "whosoever will, may come."
The ultimate tragedy is fail to recognize when God comes to us. Each of our lives are like mini-Israels. God calls us to himself. God calls us to his plans and purposes. God calls us to lives of love and obedience. He does it in multiple ways every day. Our job is to be attentive and responsive. When we are, we are blessed. When we aren't, we become spiritually impoverished. Keep your eyes, ears, and hearts open today. Don't miss God's coming to you!
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