Today's Passage - Matthew 23:37-39

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 23:37-39    "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not let me! Look, your house is left empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "    Many times, on top of Mount Olive, Jesus looked at Jerusalem and felt sad. Many times, He cried for Jerusalem because of the sins of Jerusalem. Jerusalem used to be a metropolis. To Israelis, it was their capital and the busiest commercial city. What were the sins of Jerusalem?     First, it was the sin of turning away from God. How willingly was God waited for Jerusalem! But the people of Jerusalem kept running away from God. It's not only in the past that Israelis rejected God, even today, Jews continue to deny God's grace.   Second, the leadership of Jerusalem committed the sin of not shepherding their people. Every time when God looked at Jerusalem, He didn't just see a city. He saw the flock of sheep inside. They were God's people. Every time when Jesus saw those people, He had mercy on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. These leaders did not shepherd their people according to words of God.  In Ezekiel, God sternly rebuked the leaders of Israelis, "You only take care of yourselves. ... But you do not take care of your flocks." Similarly, the flock of sheep that God asked us to take care, our family members that were given to us to take care, brothers and sisters, gospel friends, have we shepherded them with God's words? If we haven't shepherded them with God's words, I am afraid that God will rebuke us only satisfying ourselves, but not taking care of his people as well.   The sin of Pharisees was constantly glorifying themselves and satisfying themselves. I sometime saw the same phenomena in the church. We don't ask whether God's people will turn back to please God; instead, we focus on our own needs, and we want to be uplifted to feel that we are more spiritual than others. Everyone compares against each other at church, but neglects the fact that God is willing to share His love to everyone around us.  May God open our eyes, let us see that our situation is just like that of Jerusalem back then, which often makes God cry. May God have mercy on us.  Turn back from this situation and welcome Jesus to come into our lives. Let us sincerely say to the Lord, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.", so that the authority of Jesus will be revealed in our hearts.        Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, once again we welcome you into our lives to be our king. Help us to escape from the mistakes of Pharisees, to fully fill the love of God inside of us everyday, and to let it flow out from our lives.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!