Sunday, 1 November 2026
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Matthew 23:37
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“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The ‘killing the prophets’ and ‘stoning those having been sent to her’! How often I willed to upon-gather the ‘children, yours’, which way ‘upon-gathers, hen’ the ‘chicks, hers’ under the wings, and not you willed.” (CG)
In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that all the things He said would come upon “this generation.” The meaning of “this generation” was not detailed in that verse, but an explanation of it begins to be seen in this verse. Jesus starts with, “Jerusalem! Jerusalem!”
This is a standard type of Hebraism where repetition forms a strong stress. Calling out the name of the city in this manner sets an unambiguous definition of whom He is referring to. The form of the name is different than that used eleven times already in Matthew. Rather, this is probably the exact term Jesus used. It is the transliterated Aramaic form of the name, Ierousalém. It is the form commonly employed by Luke.
Jerusalem is the seat of power within the nation. Those who rule from Jerusalem, then, are the focus of what Jesus will say. Of this city, meaning those who rule from it, He says, “The ‘killing the prophets’ and ‘stoning those having been sent to her’!”
Jesus personifies the city, using it as emblematic of those within her who actually do what He ascribes to it. The people of Jerusalem had rejected the words of the prophets. They had treated them shamefully and resorted to killing them. Some of this is highlighted by the author of Hebrews –
“Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.” Hebrews 11:36, 37
Although the author of Hebrews is not specifically speaking of only Jerusalem, his words describe the general treatment that faithful followers of the Lord faced. The words of Jesus mirror what He said in the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers found in Matthew 21.
Jerusalem, being the capital and place of the king, was the key city in which such treatment took place. Despite their treatment of the people of God, Jesus continues His address to the city, saying, “How often I willed to upon-gather the ‘children, yours’.”
A new word is seen here, episunagó, to upon-gather. It is derived from epi, upon, and sunagó, to lead or gather together. Thayer’s says, “to gather besides, to bring together to others already assembled.” One can think of gathering together and then heaping more into the gathering.
Jesus clearly indicates preexistence, and thus deity, with these words. How could He otherwise have been present to desire such a thing? But His words indicate that He is the Lord, Yehovah of the Hebrew Scriptures, having come in human form.
One can see Him having pled with the city for eons, sending prophets with messages and petitions for them to turn and call out to Him. Continuing, He describes the manner in which He willed to upon-gather them, saying, “which way ‘upon-gathers, hen’ the ‘chicks, hers’ under the wings.”
Three more new words are seen. The first is tropos, a turn and thus, by implication, a manner, mode, way, or style. The next word is ornis, a bird, especially a hen. It will only be seen here and in a comparable exclamation in Luke 13:34. The third word is nossion, a birdling. In this case, it refers to the chicks of a hen. The last word is pterux, a wing, coming from petomai, to fly.
A hen will gather her chicks under her wings to keep them safe, protect them from predators and the elements, etc. Jesus states that this is how He desired the people of Jerusalem to be to Him, again, clearly indicating preexistence. The Lord of the Hebrew Scriptures had reached out to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, begging them for a right and loving relationship. However, Jesus next says, “and not you willed.”
No matter how many times the Lord sent prophets to correct the people, they went about their evil ways, rejecting His word, ignoring Him except through lip service, and they greedily lived their lives as they saw fit, regardless of His care for them.
In His incarnation, He came to them, more perfectly expressing the love of God than had ever been done before. The Lord was willing to suffer the indignity of wearing the garments of humanity, coming in the likeness of fallen man to demonstrate the pure love of God for His children. And yet, they rejected Him, crucified Him, and continue to deny Him two thousand years later.
Life application: Who can truly understand the magnificence of what God has done in sending Jesus? And who can truly understand the blackness of the human heart to ignore what He has done, speaking against it, spitting on the thought of it, and condemning God with our lips for His having humbled Himself through the incarnation and Christ’s death on the cross?
And more, Jesus rose again, proving that it is God who had done it. Despite this, the world continues to speak against God, refusing to accept the marvelous gift of grace that has been poured out on us.
Even in churches around the world where people claim Jesus’ name, they deny Him and His work by relying on observing the Law of Moses to obtain God’s favor. It is as if what Jesus did is reprehensible to them. And so they ignore it and set about to establish their own righteousness before God.
May we learn to trust God, holding fast to what He alone has done in the giving of Jesus. Let us take ourselves and our pitiful attempts to merit His favor out of the salvation equation. May we rest solely and completely in the merits of Jesus Christ for our righteousness before God.
Lord God, help us to set aside any thought of meriting Your favor. May we place our full trust and hope in the work of Jesus Christ, knowing that it alone can restore us to You. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.