O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you're the city that kills the prophets and throws stones at the messengers God sends to you. I've wanted to gather your people close so many times, like a mama hen pulling her chicks under her wings to keep them safe. But you just wouldn't let me.
Sometimes love reaches out again and again, even when it keeps getting rejected.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Jesus, Jerusalem was the heart of Jewish religious and political life, but it had a long history of rejecting and killing prophets sent by God, as seen in the Old Testament accounts of figures like Jeremiah and Zechariah. Jesus spoke these words as he approached the city, expressing his deep sorrow over this pattern of rebellion and his unfulfilled desire to gather and protect its people like a mother hen shelters her chicks. This lament highlights the ongoing tension between God's outreach and human defiance in the first century.
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