In the end of Matthew 23, Jesus had just finished His scathing rebuke of the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He ends His rebuke on a note of mercy and judgment. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Jesus really, truly cared for these people. He wanted the best for those who had made His ministry so difficult. He wanted them to be saved. He mourned their obstinacy. It pained Him to see all those people rejecting truth.
Yet, even thought He was sorry for them, He is also just. He warned them of the destruction to come, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." In about 40 years, the city of Jerusalem would be completely destroyed. We need to remember that the same is true for us today. God allows us to make our own choices, but we will suffer the consequences of our choices. We have so much going in our favor. We live in a land where we have freedom to worship God. We have the Bible that we can study as much as we like. Yet, what would Jesus say to us? Have we rejected His teaching or are we obeying the Bible as best we can with the aid of His Holy Spirit? What we He say to us on the great Judgment Day?
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