Jump Start # 4093
Luke 19:42 “saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.”
Our Lord was coming to Jerusalem. It would be His final journey to the center of the Jewish faith. He had an appointment with the Cross. The previous verse tells us that as Jesus saw Jerusalem, He wept. The tears were not for Himself. It wasn’t fear, that made Jesus cry. He knew what was coming. The following verses tell of a coming invasion. Jesus knew what the citizens didn’t. Jesus knew not just tomorrow or next week, He knew years in advance.
There is a great expression in our verse today, “If you had known…” There is an old story about passengers traveling on a train at night. A little baby was crying and crying. A tired and agitated man shouted, “Why won’t that mother keep that baby quiet so we all can get some sleep?” Another man replied, in a soft and quivering voice, “She can’t. She’s in a coffin in the baggage car.” The first man made his way up to the baby, and gently carried the baby up and down the aisle until the baby was asleep. He handed the child back to the father, and with tears running down his face, he apologized saying, “I did not know.”
If you had known is a thought that would quiet many mouths and temper many harsh judgments. We can be so quick to judge and condemn. Like a gun slinger from the old west, we are ready at an instant to pull the trigger and shoot someone down that we think is doing wrong. Boy, we can be quick on the draw. A missionary who had spent months in a foreign country returns back to the States and declares, “Religion in America is shallow and fake.” But, does he know about the prisoners on death row in Alabama who fervently are studying their Bibles daily? Does he know about the high school student who has brought the gospel to so many of his friends? Does he know about the sweet widow who on a limited income has helped so many preachers through the years? Does he know about the preacher who stayed up all night sitting by the bedside of a member who was about to take their final breath? Does he know about the number of prayers that were offered by so many for his safety while he was in a foreign country?
To that missionary I would say, “If you had known…”
Here are some thoughts for us:
First, often we don’t know, so that ought to lead us to be helpful more than hurtful. Someone comes into worship services late. We can roll our eyes. We can sigh heavily. We can talk about them to others afterwards. But, wouldn’t it be better to go to that person and say, “I’m glad you made it today. Seeing you, made my day.” Maybe the person worked all night. Maybe he stopped on the way to help someone. Maybe he had car trouble. Or, maybe he just got up late. We are not the judge. Let the Lord do what the Lord does so well. If we had known…
Second, many times it’s not our business to know. We are not Heaven’s police squad assigned to hand out tickets to everyone that we think are in the wrong. So, someone comes in late. Is it our job to ask then dozens of questions, possibly making them feel worse or embarrassed? And, just what are we going to do with that information once we get it? Tell others? There is a thin line between being helpful and being nosey. It’s easy to cross that line. It can make a person feel very uncomfortable when they feel that they have to report to you about their attendance, dress and behavior during worship. I know. I’ve had people come feeling uncomfortable and I’ve had the others come with a full report about why someone wasn’t doing what they thought he should.
When I first started preaching, a long time ago, it used to bother me where people sat. I couldn’t understand why some sat in the very back rows. They wouldn’t do that at a show or ball game. But through the years, I’ve learned to just not be bothered by that. They could be home in bed. They could be at the lake fishing. But rather, here they are in the house of God, coming to worship and thank the Lord that they love.
Third, there are lots of good and wonderful things that take place during the week that most never know anything about. The encouraging phone calls. The wonderful texts that are sent. The cards that come through the mail. The food taken. The Bible studies that take place. The people invited to services. It’s easy to think nothing is going on. No one is doing anything. The church is dead. But, “if you had known,” you would be amazed. The larger the congregation, the more true this is. Prayers going upward. Bibles being opened. People being helped. Hearts that love the Lord and are trying their best.
Finally, this statement, “If you had known,” could well be said of the blessings of God. People that God has put in our lives to help us. Doors that the Lord has opened for us. Prayers that were answered “yes.” Angels that have been there for us. God has done so much for us and we didn’t even know.
If you had known…
Roger