In June 1993 Charles Krauthammer addressed the graduating
class of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. McGill was one of his alma
maters. Like many proficient speakers he had three points. But it is only his
second point that interests me this week because it aligns so well with Luke
19:28-44, Luke’s account of “Palm Sunday”.
Krauthammer began as many engaging speakers do, with a
story. He said, “Exactly 23 years ago, in this very building, I was sitting in
your seat. What I shall offer you today is a reconnaissance report from a
two-decade life expedition into a world beyond McGill College Avenue. Like
Marco Polo, I return – without silk, but with three pieces of sage advice.”
To think that his speech was delivered 26 years ago, and yet
it is as fresh this April as it was that June!
Now for his second point: LOOK OUTWARD. Krauthammer
continued, “By that I mean: Don’t look inward too much. You have been taught –
rightly taught – Socrates’ dictum that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Yet I would add: Beware of the too-examined life. Perhaps previous ages
suffered from a lack of self-examination. The age of Oprah does not. Our
problem is quite the opposite.
“One of the defining features of modernity is
self-consciousness…we live in an age in which the highest moral injunction is
to get in touch with one’s feelings. Speaking as a psychiatrist – well, a
psychiatrist in remission – I can assure you that this is a highly overrated
pursuit.
“The reigning cliché of the day is that, in order to love
others, one must first learn to love oneself. This formulation – love thyself,
then thy neighbor – is a license for unrelenting self-indulgence, because the
quest for self-love is endless. By the time you have finally learned to love
yourself, you’ll find yourself playing golf at Leisure World, having outlined
those you might have loved. ‘Love thy neighbor’ was supposed to be the hard
part of the biblical injunction. Sometimes it seems like all of America is
working on the ‘thyself’ part – almost the definition of narcissism.”
There are few portrayals of American culture in over the
last 26 years that are more accurate than Krauthammer’s critique. And yet, this
portrayal is not limited to modern America. It is exactly what was going on in
Jerusalem the day Jesus stopped His ride to look out over the city and weep.
This Sunday we will take a fresh look at that scene and
those tears. We will attempt to ferret out the reasons for Jesus’ unusual
emotional display. The principle question is: why does He weep? What does He
see that brings Him to tears? Hint: It is much of the same inward focus that
Krauthammer nails at McGill.
In preparation for Sunday’s message, “The Tears of God,” you
may wish to consider the following:
1. What examples can you find in the Old Testament of divine
sorrow?
2. How does Jesus appear to be expressing the same sentiment as
His Father in Hosea 11?
3. From where is Jesus gazing down over the city of Jerusalem?
4. How do you explain the range of emotion in Jesus in Luke
19:41-46?
5. How many times is Jesus said to have cried in the gospels?
6. What differences can you identify between these incidents?
7. What does Jesus mean in verse 42 when He laments their lack
of knowledge of what makes for peace?
8. Who is He saying this about and why?
9. What prophetic reality is Jesus referring to in verses 43
& 44?
10. What does He mean when He says, “…because you didn’t know
the time of your visitation.”?
See you Sunday!
