"The Absence of Divine Shalom"(Luke 19:37-44)

The Absence of Divine Shalom 

Luke 19:37-44 

We read In Luke 19 that as Jesus is entering Jerusalem, his disciples and the crowds praise God for the great things Jesus had done. The Pharisees retort and tell Jesus to silence the crowds. Jesus responds by saying that even if He did, the stones would cry out. Later when Jesus sees the city of Jerusalem, he weeps. 

This is the second time the Bible records Jesus weeping.  The word "weep" from the original language means to cry out in lament. The  first time we read about Jesus weeping is when he arrives to find Lazarus buried in a tomb. (John 11:35). With the case of Lazarus, we see how much he can love people and has  emotions like the rest of us. But why does Jesus weep when He sees Jerusalem? Perhaps it is because of the divine peace or Shalom has been removed from Jerusalem. This is the peace that is given only by the presence of the Lord. 

  

The city of Jerusalem was a renowned city at the time and in that area. Despite the fact that in 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city wall and the Temple, Jerusalem still was considered formidable. It was fortified by a great wall which had been rebuilt by returning exiles. The wall was twelve meters high and ran about 4000 meters. No wonder that other kings had tried and failed to take Jerusalem, such as King Sennacherib of Assyria.  

Not only was Jerusalem strong, it was the center of the Jewish faith. It held all the religious treasures of the Israelites. Moreover, the temple was magnificent. One could not help but stand in awe of the temple. The Jews at that time would face the temple to pray because that is where God dwelled.  We know that Jerusalem is the Zion of God, or the dwelling place of God. As long as the temple was standing, God was with them.  

In 33 AD Jesus made the prophecy that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Later in 70 AD, Just as Jesus predicted, Jerusalem falls. Emperor Vespasian sends his son Titus to finish the job he had been commissioned to do by Emperor Nero. The Roman army completely destroys Jerusalem and the temple. 

Going back to Luke 19 vs 38-39 the disciples of Jesus and the crowds praise Jesus, but it is the Pharisees and the elites who resist Jesus. These elites do not want to acknowledge Jesus as the king. Much like some of the servants in the parables of the ten minas, the elites did not want Jesus as their king.

How else did the people fail? There was religious decay in the temple. The holy place for prayers had been turned into a commercial centre. The temple was turned from a house of prayers to a den of robbers (Luke 19:45-46). Do we value the presence of God in us? Do we just observe rituals and ignore the presence of God?

In Luke 19:11-27, the parable describes different kinds of servants to the king.  There were those who rejected the king, those who invested for the kingdom and those who invented ways to avoid glorifying the king. Later the king needs to maintain the peace in his kingdom through promotion and punishment. God demands obedience and not sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).  

Jesus implies that if the people followed closely the commands of their King. They would not lose their peace. What does Jesus do in the life of a believer?

Jesus brings peace to us. 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" 

Luke 2:13‭-‬14 ESV 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 

Luke 4:18 ESV 

Jerusalem rejects Jesus as their King. They lose the temple in 70 AD and by then it was too late to see that they had lost the presence of God and the divine peace. 

For those who accept Jesus in their lives, Jesus guarantees a guidance to expand the kingdom and give peace. Jesus desires to reign in our lives which will gives us divine peace. 

1. Jesus will lead us but we need to be obedient. 

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 

Psalms 32:6‭-‬7 ESV 

2. Jesus will not abandon those who follow Jesus.  Jesus will keep us in perfect peace. 

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

John 10:11 ESV 

3. Jesus is faithful, but we need to trust in Jesus.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 

Isaiah 26:3 ESV 

Much like we can gain peace by letting Jesus reign in our lives, we can also lose the Peace of God? 

1. We lose peace when we reject Jesus or resist the reign of Jesus. Luke 19:12. 

2. We lose peace when we continually disobey Jesus instructions. 

3. We lose peace when we consistently fail to repent.  

There is nothing worse than losing the peace of God. Although we are not perfect yet, we are expected to go back and repent. If we resist continually, we lose the peace of God. 

As we tarry in this world, let Jesus reign completely in our  lives.