NOTES for Mat 23:30-39

Today’s passage contains one of the most moving comparisons. The Lord is likened to a bird gathering its young beneath its wings. This comparison goes back to the Old Testament. At the very beginning of the Book of Genesis, when the Spirit of God is described as moving over the waters, a verb is used that describes a bird hovering over its nest. Or take Psalm 62, for example: “In the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.” This is a metaphor for God’s love for human beings and for the human love for God that He awaits. But against what a terrible background it sounds in this passage: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her!” People respond to God’s love with malice and murder.