Tenth Sunday after Trinity (1891)

Luke 19:41-48 St. Paul says about the ways of God with the people of the Old Covenant in 1 Corinthians 10:11: "All these things happened to them as an example, but it is written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the world have come." The same also applies as our Gospel today reminds us; it is also written for us, and for us in particular, as those who are also closer to the end of all things. To What End Jesus' Tearful Lament Over Jerusalem Should Redound To Us Christians Of The Last Times In Particular. 1. It is intended to comfort us, a. Jerusalem underwent a time of great visitation of grace in those days. The Passover and its significance. - And now before this Easter Festival, there was a fulfilling of all prophecies and patterns for the salvation of Jerusalem and the world in consummation!1 We also live in a time of great, rich visitation of grace. Preaching of the Gospel throughout the world. God has also placed even the pure confession of the Church on a high observation point, especially here in our country. Churches, schools, institutions, journals and books, religious freedom, b. but how did Jerusalem deport itself? It cares little for the Passover Lambs spiritual meaning, it is drowned in the carnal sense. How often the Lord has reproached this to them; and what does He now find in the temple? The prayer house is made into a department store and a den of thieves.2 The children of Jerusalem have even less sense for the right Passover Lamb, that, bearing the world's sin, already comes to the slaughter. The leaders of the people grumble about the Hosannas of the children3; and soon the crowd roars under their guidance "Crucify him!" Before their eyes is hidden what serves for their peace4; they do not know the time of their visitation. 5 - And what we do we see in our time? The world also drowned in the earthly meaning; even the Church does this corruption to themselves. Grumbling about the preaching of the Truth, contempt for the means of grace; defilement with the world, which still in their actions, their newspapers, clubs etc., the "Crucify him" rises against Jesus. For many the Church is also a department store, because they seek their temporal profit; in addition to many dens of thieves of the sects and enthusiasts, who are countless! c. Nevertheless Jesus, the true Savior, does not desist to seek Jerusalem's salvation. His love burns as hot as ever; His bowels of compassion squeezes tears from Him; His mouth overflows with words of painful lament, but also incomprehensible favor and kindness.6
1 2

Luke 19:41; cf. Luke 19:38 and Luke 18:31ff. Luke 19:45-46. 3 Luke 19:39. 4 Luke 19:42. 5 Luke 19:44. 6 Luke 19:41-42.

Jerusalem should still have time, His time. He could have destroyed the city on Good Friday, where He also died for Jerusalem; but He has given them an Easter, let them see a Pentecost, their term for many years; still many have been saved by His grace. - He is today the same longsuffering, faithful Savior. The wonderful mercy that He has shown to Jerusalem can comfort us even when we must accuse ourselves because of our many infidelities, when we watch our children and the time, in which they grow up, when we watch and consider the world, what the devil has in mind with it particularly in this last time. His sorrow bearing, His tears, His shame and agony, all these should come for our own good; in these Easter festival days He has also visited us; whereof we should enjoy, and the more time afterward is made that God's children may be afraid of comfort, the sweeter this consolation should be to us. But Jesus' tearful lament over Jerusalem should also redound for us 2. as a reminder, a. not for arrogance, for security had Jerusalem reason in the face of the longsuffering Jesus. The period of grace shall come to an end; judgment was suited. The Lord prophesied it in advance; and it has arrived.7 No stone was left upon another from the once holy temple. Thus the same Man Who here weeps over Jerusalem also made true the announcement of His judgment, b. the current period of grace hastens to an end. Also these last days will find their conclusion in a terrible judgment, and the same mouth announced this judgment who predicted the judgment of Jerusalem. Therefore it is necessary to be sober and awake and to pay attention to the signs of the times that warningly remind us of the end of all things. So we should redeem the time that God still gives us. And Jesus' tearful lament over Jerusalem should also redound to us 3. as an example, a. the Savior looked at the city with heartfelt compassion, whose time of visitation came to a rapid end. He weeps burning tears of redeeming love toward His enemies. And He is not idle. He cleans the house of the LORD with all seriousness, He preaches daily in the temple, although the chief priests and scribes and the chief of the people sought to take His life8; nevertheless, the people found Him and heard Him.9 Therefore, his apostles should also commence with their preaching in Jerusalem. And such preaching was not in vain; b. so we also should be filled with heartfelt compassion for the people of our time, the saving love of Christians should diligently be in the work of the LORD; we should do what we can to keep the house of God pure from all sorts of error, false doctrine, and false worship and, whatever the evil enemy ushers in with deceit and violence, remove it with earnestness and zeal, whether or not we should also reap hatred and ingratitude. So we should continue especially with the preaching of the saving Word to young and old and through it save what can be saved; the fruit of it is inevitable. This we shall learn if we will get near to the city of which we sing:
7 8

Luke 19:43-44. Luke 19:45-47. 9 Luke 19:48.

O Jerusalem, how glorious Dost thou shine, thou city fair! Lo, I hear the tones victorious Ever sweetly sounding there. Oh, the bliss that there surprises! Lo, the sun of morn now rises, And the breaking day I see That shall never end for me.10 A.G.

10

TLH 601:6. KG 397:6 (Alle Menschen mssen sterben).