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Gospel Reading for November 20, 2025 – Luke 19: 41-44
CATASTROPHY
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace– but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
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The siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE by the Romans due to the revolt of the Jews brought so much CATASTROPHY. The Jews in the city were starved to force them to surrender so many died of famine. So many were massacred and the city was set on fire including the Second Temple which was central to their worship. Those who survived were enslaved.
Jesus saw this was coming. Could he have prevented it from happening by warning the Jews? Most probably not, because a lot of them did not believe in him and did not accept him as the Messiah because the Messiah they expected would be one who would liberate them from Roman rule. They were so preoccupied about their bondage under the Romans and did not listen to Jesus’ preaching about the bondage or spiritual slavery to sin. It is even so ironic that they used the Roman officials to give the death verdict to Jesus, accusing him of sedition against the Romans and being disloyal to Caesar. Perhaps, if they instead used their time to listen to Jesus and accepted him as their Saviour, they would not have gone into such a losing battle.
Jesus wept as parents would weep for a child they love so much and who would have been spared from extreme suffering had the child listened to their advice.
Lord, may we always recognize your visitation in our life so we may not experience CATASTROPHY!
