Reading… and Thinking

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.”

— Luke 19:41-42 (NIV)

One way to translate the name Jerusalem is, “a flow of peace”. There are other suggestions, but the “-salem” part is clearly from the Hebrew word shalom, which means “peace”.

Jerusalem has not known much peace in her long history. Jesus was taking note of this tragic irony in what he said here.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day had their ideas of what would make for peace. The Sadducees (primarily priests) and the Herodians thought that cooperation and collaboration with Rome would ensure peace. The Pharisees thought that rigorous adherence to the Law would mean the Lord would watch out for them, and ritual cleanness would guarantee that Jerusalem would have peace. The Zealots thought that armed rebellion against Rome, expelling the Gentile conquerors, would cause God to act on their behalf, and would result in a purified and peaceful Jerusalem, free of Gentile domination.

But none of them knew what would really make for peace. Their peace could only come from faith in their Messiah. Neither political activity nor religious ritual nor arms could give them peace. Jesus could give it to them, but they wouldn’t have him – and he wept over their stubbornness.

Jerusalem is far from a place of peace today. Its inhabitants still do not know what makes for peace. Do we weep over Jerusalem as our Lord did? Does it grieve us to see God’s city torn apart by violence? To see His people twisting His Word to justify their political ambitions? To see others of His people ignoring their heritage and living purely secular lives?

Does it grieve us that people all over the world, both Jew and Gentile, do not know what makes for peace? Are we doing anything to help them to understand? Are we praying for the peace of Jerusalem?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6, KJV)

“You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7, ESV)