Holy Week: Tuesday--Choose Christ

Scriptures:

• Lesson from the withered fig tree (Mark 11:20-26)
• More teachings in the temple: attempts to trap Jesus in his words (Mark 11:27-12:44; Matthew 22:15-23:36; Luke 20:20-21:4)
• Jesus' lament over Jerusalem as recorded by Matthew (Matthew 23:37-39)
• The Olivet Discourse, or "little apocalypse," concerning Jesus' prophecies regarding the last days before his Second Coming (Mark 13:1-37; Matthew 24:1-25:46; Luke 21:5-36)
• Summary of Jesus' teaching (Luke 21:37-38; John 37-50)

I have been thinking about Jesus' lament over Jerusalem since conference two weeks ago because it was mentioned a couple times. So that is what I decided to study and ponder today. This topic involves agency, humility, obedience, and a change of heart (repentance).

As Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and people who soon crucify and forsake Him, he lamented:

Mosaic in Dominus Flevit church

Matthew 23:37-38

37 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!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Dominus Flevit "Lord Wept,"
church building in the shape
of a tear drop, on the Mt. of Olives
 overlooking Jerusalem where
Christ would have been as He lamented.

Can you hear the pleading in His words? Can you feel His love for these people--for us--sinners who constantly choose to forsake Him when we place our worldly priorities before Him?

Think about it. We will only be left desolate if we choose to not be gathered under Christ's healing wings, for He has come with "healing in his wings" 2 Nephi 25:13.

In this past April 2014 General Conference,
President Henry B. Eyring said in his talk, A Priceless Heritage of Hope,

The Lord has given us all the source of hope as we struggle to help those we love accept their eternal inheritance. He has made promises to us as we keep trying to gather people to Him, even when they resist His invitation to do so. Their resistance saddens Him, but He does not quit, nor should we. He sets the perfect example for us with His persistent love: “And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gatherethher chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.”3
We can depend on that unfailing desire of the Savior to bring all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children back to their home with Him. Every faithful parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent shares in that desire. Heavenly Father and the Savior are our perfect examples of what we can and must do. They never force righteousness because righteousness must be chosen. They make righteousness discernible to us, and They let us see that its fruits are delicious.

Invitation:

View one or more of these short clips about how we can change our hearts and choose to come to Christ every time. Think about stories in the scriptures too. It is truly humbling to realize how much we must rely on the Savior.

I found each of these videos powerful as I placed myself in their shoes and realized, in essence, they are my own shoes--we are all sinners, in need of chastening and softening of our hearts. We are all in need of the reminder to come to the Savior instead of other sources.

Loved this quote (and his accent): “I asked if God could intervene and take over….from then on every Sunday I went”

May we all choose to be gathered under our Savior's healing wings.