How Could We Tell Them?

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

HOW COULD WE TELL THEM

Luke 19:41-44

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." 

NIV

These words of Jesus came true about forty-some years later as history records how the Romans, in AD 70, laid siege on the city and took the whole of the temple down, every stone, and it is said by Josephus some of the stones were 6 feet high, 8 feet wide and 40 feet long. Tons of stone were gone, so much so it was said that Titus the Roman commander put a plow over the temple area, so much that anyone who came later would never know the temple ever existed. Although all this is good history, what does it mean in our lives? How do we apply this truth to the world we live in today? We know we are not in danger of the enemy building an embankment against us, or encircle us within, for we have recognized that time God came to us. We have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and so the enemy, who would be the enemy of our soul, cannot encircle us. He is not able to tear down our lives, stone by stone, so to speak. However, there are people whom the enemy has encircled and is destroying their lives, even if they cannot see it. When there is no hope, there is nothing left but despair. We can see the sadness in the eyes of those who live hopelessly, although they think they are slaying the world, busy getting ahead while satisfying every craving. The day is coming when they will be laid bare before the Lord and cast away into everlasting destruction. Our task, our calling as believers, disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ is to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them the commands of God. Jesus told his disciples to go and do that and if we are disciples of Jesus our task is to follow and go out into every aspect of the world and do what he said. We cannot do it, if we keep our mouths shut, or hide ourselves off, wall ourselves in, keeping company with only the saints of God. Perhaps we should take a note from Jesus and weeep over the lost in the world around us. If only they knew, but they could, if we tell them. How can we tell them? If they are still like Jerusalem, destruction awaits.