As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion, he cried over the city (Luke 19:41-42). The text gives us insight into what prompted this outburst of emotion. Jesus said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace…” Jesus was crying because Israel was in a desperate situation and they were looking for answers in all the wrong places. The people wanted Jesus to overthrow the Romans. But their real problem was not Rome – it was their sin. Jesus came to deliver them, but not in the way that they expected.
As I considered this scene, I couldn’t help but think of the current climate within the church of our day. I talk to many believers who are unsettled by recent legislation and anxious about the presidential elections. How can we control immigration and keep terrorists outside our borders? What if the next president appoints liberal judges to further turn the Supreme Court away from biblical morality? What can we do to slow the tide of racial tension in our country?
Is it possible that Jesus is crying as he looks out over us in our day? Is it possible that we are looking for peace in all the wrong places? Neither Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will bring us peace. Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have the ability to resolve the racial conflicts and economic issues that face our country. No amount of legislation will halt the advance of radical Islam. No new law will curb the rising tide of sexual perversion.
Don’t get me wrong. Politicians and law enforcement officers all have an important role to play in God’s world. But it is the gospel alone that can change the human heart. So register to vote. Pray for your leaders. And do your duty as a responsible citizen. But look to the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for humanity’s real problem.
Pastor Jeff
Photo credit: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trump_%26_Clinton.jpg
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