As he 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. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you. (Luke 19:41-44)
We are in our final week, often called Passion Week. Passion is used in this context to refer to suffering. At the start of our journey we recognized that a review of the Disciplines should not be a sterile academic exercise. Instead this journey must be a journey of practical application. This week we want to observe Jesus as our perfect demonstration of how a loving God shows up on the streets where we live with our joys and our pains, our highs and our lows. It is in these real life settings, including settings of sufferings that the Disciplines can serve as tools to help us see a God who cares deeply about us. As you observe Jesus in action this week please pay attention to how love is manifested and how the Disciplines serve as tools to help us address the real issues of life that we face – loss of a loved one, broken relationships, illness, loss of a job, etc.
There is one discipline we haven’t looked at as yet this year which will feature extensively, the Discipline of Spiritual Warfare. If you need to read up on this Discipline remember that you can go to the www.40daysofdiscipline.com website and click on the Disciplines tab.
Today we start with a passage describing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem after his ride on the colt to the adulation of many in the crowd and frustration of the Pharisees. Please prayerfully read the passage and answer the questions below.
Today’s Questions for comments:
- What does this passage teach us about how Jesus shows up for us, and what Disciplines do you see manifested?
- How could you use these lessons to help someone suffering?
March 30, 2015 at 6:10 am
What does this passage teach us about how Jesus shows up for us, and what Disciplines do you see manifested?
Jesus shows up repeatedly for us. Like the city and inhabitants of Jerusalem God had been making a way of salvation, a way of escape for centuries. Much the way He has been for us. Patiently waiting for us to recognize Him. I see prayer – Jesus is talking to the Father. I see spiritual warfare- a battle rages over the city much as it continues today – we have evidence of His fulfilling the role of Messiah, will we believe?
How could you use these lessons to help someone suffering?
God’s continued attempts to protect and preserve His people – even at the expense of His Son. God is mindful of the suffering and wants us to believe and avoid judgement.
March 30, 2015 at 9:00 am
What does this passage teach us about how Jesus shows up for us, and what Disciplines do you see manifested?
As we listen to Jesus we hear and see the compassion of a loving God who is ever present making himself available as our source of strength and our refuge. He is able to provide protection from dangers that he is able to see because he knows what’s ahead. Jesus entrance into Jerusalem that day also exemplify what is noted above. He entered knowing He was about to do battle (and win), providing salvation for us. The discipline, other than Spiritual Warfare, that I see here is service. Jesus was, as he had been all his earthly life, as he netered Jerusalem, obediently fulfilling the task God had assigned to him.
How could you use these lessons to help someone suffering? This passage can be a source of help for anyone suffering as we see God omniscience and his compassion and the truth that he not only knows what’s coming and cares about us – he is able to protect us from or bring us through. “Yea though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
March 30, 2015 at 10:30 pm
Thank you very much commentators! Our lord does show up with compassion (Service) – He weeps. He also sees the real warfare (Spiritual Warfare) and speaks the truth (Bible Study) into our circumstances. It is so essential that we rely on Him. He can address the real challenges in our lives.