Ask a young person which is the most important city in the world, they might suggest Washington, New York, Beijing, London, or Berlin. Within the grand context of all history we have to say that Jerusalem has been the most significant. What other city might be a contender? We might suggest Rome because of the scope and influence of the Roman Empire, but it is reasonable to say that Jerusalem still outshines its rivals. 

This is strange because there has never been a Judean Empire. Judaea never had a reputation as a centre of learning. No invention, no theory, no great discovery is associated with this city, and yet Jerusalem still holds its prime position amongst the most famous of places. This claim is based purely on religion. Today it is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, but on the day Jesus lamented over it, it was its past that he had in mind. Jerusalem’s history goes back around 5,500 years, but it was around 3,000 years ago that King David conquered it and made it his capital city. Jerusalem was not a large city, and its grandeur owes more to epic films than reality. Almost from the start its history has been turbulent with good and bad kings presiding over a sometimes faithful and sometimes unfaithful population. And yet according to the Bible it was the chosen focus of God’s involvement with the planet. 

This choice speaks volumes about the nature of God’s love – it is unmerited, undeserving, astonishing and yet genuine and true. And Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as he heads towards it on his final journey – tears of frustration and love. Our short Bible passage also speaks of Jesus’ determination not to be distracted by hurt and danger that awaited him. Twice we have the peculiar reference to Jesus carrying on ‘today, tomorrow and the next day’. This is simply an expression of his unstoppable determination to fulfil his mission to champion the supremacy of self-giving servanthood as the only true way of living. As a hymn says, ‘Love is his word, love is his way, feasting with men, fasting alone, living and dying, rising again, love, only love, is his way. Richer than gold is the love of my Lord: better than splendour and wealth.