Luke 19:41 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.”

It’s easy to see how if Jerusalem was God’s Desired Dwelling Place among His people, it would break the heart of God to know that His own people didn’t want Him or recognize the time of His coming to them.  Our peace with God came at the high price of the crucifixion of Jesus, the Son of God. 

How did a crowd shouting “Hosanna” quickly turn to shouting “Crucify him”?  They wanted a political solution to a spiritual problem. 

They sacrificed what would bring true peace because God’s way didn’t measure up politically.  They expected a political revolt and a political conquering king, but they would reap what they had sown.  Even in the passage above, Jesus outlines what mere political revolt and overthrow accomplish.  The crowd wanted a political solution to a spiritual problem…and Jesus wept because He knew that this approach–on its own–would not achieve what they really wanted.  They needed a real Messiah.

In our lives, how often do we look for political solutions to spiritual problems? 

I used to be a political junkie.  I followed all the talk radio programs, watched all the loud arguing talking heads on panel discussion shows, and lived for the news of the day.  I called my congressman regularly, wrote letters to the editor, and voiced my views.  Then Jesus grabbed hold of me and things changed.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still have clear views of things, I watch news and opinion programs, voice my views, and vote.  But I’m looking to Jesus to solve the spiritual problem at the root of every political problem. 

Look at this list of today’s major political hand grenades:

• Abortion
• Energy Policy
• Foreign Policy
• Greed
• Hate
• Jobs
• Judicial Policy
• Military Policy
• Race Relations
• Tax Policy
• Welfare Policy

One passage of Scripture radically changed my thinking on this topic of a political solution to a spiritual problem: Matthew 22:16-22.  The answer Jesus gave (v 21) was: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Political solutions belong to political problems.  Spiritual problems need a more reliable Messiah.  If we let Jesus Christ—and the peace He alone brings—be the lens through which we view the major political ideas of our day, we will stop looking for lesser messiahs in the form of our elected officials.  We will move beyond political solutions and recognize the time is now!  God has made peace for us through Jesus Christ’s coming to us.  He will make us His Desired Dwelling Place as we see Jesus as the only solution to the spiritual problem at the root of every political problem.

For further thought:

1. How tempting is it to look for political solutions?
2. Why do we like political solutions?
3. What is the Christian’s obligation regarding faith and politics?

In our thirteenth Song of Ascents (the pilgrim songs that travelers would sing on their way Up to Jerusalem), we encounter Psalm 132—the longest of these songs.   The title of this discipleship lesson might be Desired Dwelling Place because it highlights God’s desire to dwell among His people. 

This song begins:  Psalm 132:1 A song of ascents. O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.  2 He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “I will not enter my house or go to my bed– 4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, 5 till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

David’s desire was to find a dwelling place for God, but God’s desired dwelling place was wherever His people came to worship Him.  If we remember back in 1 Chronicles 13-16, King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  He had found it in Jaar (i.e. Keriath Jearim –1 Samuel 5 tells us the Philistines abandoned it, as it brought nothing but judgment against those who hated God). 

Ps 132: 6 We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: 7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;  let us worship at his footstool— 8 arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy.”

But even after the Ark was in Jerusalem, Scripture says, “After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent” (1 Chronicles 17:1).

David’s cedar palace seemed to be a more fitting dwelling place than under a tent.  God’s Desired Dwelling Place was among His chosen people.  This is what the “Tent of Meeting” represented. 

God desires to meet with His people–the ones who love and fear Him–wherever they are.

Here is the beauty of God’s condescension and His great humility.  He allowed the Temple to be built not because He needed one, but because He loves us.  It would not be built by David, a man of war, but by Solomon, whose name means peace (see the Hebrew consonant similarities with shalom, SLM).  Seek God’s Presence and Know His Peace.  This is His Desired Dwelling Place.

Ps 132:10 For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one. 11 The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke:  “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne—12 if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.”13 For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: 14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it—15 I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. 16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. 17 “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.  18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

God’s resting place–where He is enthroned– is the eternal temple.  It was made possible by Jesus Christ—His Anointed One.  Where is God’s eternal Desired Dwelling Place?  

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’”

(Revelation 21:3)

Luke 19:28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  (NIV)

Shalom, Simple Shalom—this was the discipleship lesson of our twelfth Song of Ascents. 

Jesus modeled it.

I can’t even begin to imagine the dread I would have felt knowing what was ahead if I had been in Jesus’ sandals.  I dread bad things and I even dread good things.  I dread parties where I don’t know many people.  I dread going to unfamiliar places.  I dread overseas travel.  When I worked at Home Depot, I used to dread the first Saturday of each month because that’s when we’d have the children’s workshops.  OK, maybe there was some legitimate reason to dread being taken away from the work needing to be done and being placed in charge of supervising many small children with hammers.  (I think I had nightmares about that one.)

I may be a great big dread head, dreading both the good and also the bad.  I’m not sure why I routinely do this, but one thing is for sure: it displays a significant lack of trust in what God is doing.

Here, in Luke, Jesus shows us how Simple Shalom is done.  The plan is to go to Jerusalem and have all the sins of mankind piled on you.  You’ll carry them all to a cross where you’ll die a painful death as a demonstration of God’s great love for mankind. 

My reaction would have been … “Really??”    Or maybe,  “Ugh!!”      Or perhaps, “I want to run away.”

Jesus embraced it because He knew Shalom, Simple Shalom. 

His life was in God’s hands and He trusted God, plain and simple. 

Jesus trusted God with the provisions needed.  He let God worry about the reactions of a crowd which today shouts “Hosanna” but soon will shout “Crucify him!”  He let God deal with the Pharisees.  And if God wanted the rocks to cry out instead, He’d trust God to make it all work out.

Jesus modeled what humbly trusting in God looks like.  It looks like Shalom, Simple Shalom.  Trusting God ought to be plain and simple.  Why do I struggle with it so?

For further thought:

What hinders your trust in God, keeping it from being plain and simple?

What does dread say about who the focus is on?