Have you ever felt the ache of wanting someone to come home—so much that your longing turns into a public lament? Jesus’ words over Jerusalem are that kind of grief: fierce, tender, and piercingly honest. They connect with the restless places in us—our hopes for belonging, our fear of rejection, and the cost of turning away from what would save us. This is not a remote theological observation; it’s the heart of God laid bare where people most needed mercy.
In Matthew 23:37–39 and Luke 13:34–35 Jesus laments Jerusalem, saying he longed to gather its people “as a hen gathers her chicks,” but they were unwilling. He rebukes their history of rejecting messengers from God and warns that the city will be left desolate—there is a distance created by their refusal. Both Gospels carry the same image of a protective, mothering desire and the painful reality of human resistance; Matthew places the lament amid Jesus’ sharp rebuke of the leaders (chapter 23), while Luke frames it within Jesus’ warnings and parables urging repentance. This specific lament appears in Matthew and Luke; it’s not recorded in Mark or John.
This passage shows us something essential about Jesus: his authority is never separate from a tender, almost maternal compassion. He isn’t simply pronouncing judgment; he grieves over it. That grief reveals the seriousness of turning away—choices have consequences—but it also reveals the priority of relationship. The Kingdom Jesus brings is not abstract power; it’s an invitation to be gathered into life. Don’t miss the weight here: God’s heartbreak over rejection teaches us both the holiness of his standards and the depth of his mercy. There is judgment, yes—but even in judgment there is a holding out of hope, a future reconciliation promised when the people finally acknowledge him.
Today, live this by practicing a small, concrete act of gathering. Start your morning by asking Jesus to gather someone you worry about—an estranged family member, a co-worker, your city—and then reach out: send a message, make a call, invite someone for coffee. Let your prayer fuel a gentle step toward reconciliation, and practice saying with your life, “Blessed is he who comes,” by welcoming Christ’s way in your words and choices.
In Matthew 23:37–39 and Luke 13:34–35 Jesus laments Jerusalem, saying he longed to gather its people “as a hen gathers her chicks,” but they were unwilling. He rebukes their history of rejecting messengers from God and warns that the city will be left desolate—there is a distance created by their refusal. Both Gospels carry the same image of a protective, mothering desire and the painful reality of human resistance; Matthew places the lament amid Jesus’ sharp rebuke of the leaders (chapter 23), while Luke frames it within Jesus’ warnings and parables urging repentance. This specific lament appears in Matthew and Luke; it’s not recorded in Mark or John.
This passage shows us something essential about Jesus: his authority is never separate from a tender, almost maternal compassion. He isn’t simply pronouncing judgment; he grieves over it. That grief reveals the seriousness of turning away—choices have consequences—but it also reveals the priority of relationship. The Kingdom Jesus brings is not abstract power; it’s an invitation to be gathered into life. Don’t miss the weight here: God’s heartbreak over rejection teaches us both the holiness of his standards and the depth of his mercy. There is judgment, yes—but even in judgment there is a holding out of hope, a future reconciliation promised when the people finally acknowledge him.
Today, live this by practicing a small, concrete act of gathering. Start your morning by asking Jesus to gather someone you worry about—an estranged family member, a co-worker, your city—and then reach out: send a message, make a call, invite someone for coffee. Let your prayer fuel a gentle step toward reconciliation, and practice saying with your life, “Blessed is he who comes,” by welcoming Christ’s way in your words and choices.
Matthew: 23:37-39
Jesus laments over Jerusalem, mournfully noting that though he longed to gather and protect its people like a mother gathering her chicks, they resisted and had persecuted the prophets. As a result their house will be left desolate, and they will not see him again until they acknowledge him ("Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord").
Open VerseLuke: 13:34-35
Jesus laments Jerusalem’s repeated rejection of God’s messengers and longs to gather its people under his protection like a hen gathers her chicks, but they refuse. As a result he declares the city desolate and says they will not see him until they welcome the one who comes “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Open Verse