2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 37

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that.” Matthew 23:37 (CEB)

These are not the words of an angry judge. They are the words of a grieving God.

After chapter upon chapter of confrontation—after exposing hypocrisy, legalism, and spiritual blindness—Jesus doesn’t end with condemnation. He ends with lament. His voice breaks over Jerusalem, not because He lacks power to act, but because love refuses to coerce.

“How often I wanted to gather you…”

This is the ache of God laid bare. Not a distant deity tallying failures, but a present God reaching out again and again—only to be refused.

Choosing What We Want Over What God Offers
Jerusalem’s story is painfully familiar. Time and time again, God sent prophets. Time and time again, the people chose what was comfortable, familiar, and controllable over what God was offering.

They wanted:

• Stability without repentance
• Identity without obedience
• Tradition without transformation

And Jesus names the tragedy plainly: “But you didn’t want that.” God’s grace was not absent. God’s invitation was not unclear. What was missing was willingness.

The Tender Image We Shouldn’t Miss
Jesus doesn’t compare Himself to a lion or a conquering king here. He chooses a hen. A hen who gathers. A hen who shelters. A hen who exposes herself to danger so her chicks can be safe. This is not weakness. It’s sacrificial love. And it reveals something important: God’s grace does not force its way in. It invites. It waits. It longs. But it allows us to say no.

When the Status Quo Feels Safer Than Grace
Sometimes what keeps us from God isn’t rebellion—it’s attachment. Attachment to routines that once served us well. Attachment to systems we know how to manage. Attachment to a version of faith that feels predictable and safe.

Grace, on the other hand, asks us to move. To trust. To be changed. And so we pray, honestly:
God, give us new vision to see what you offer.
Guide us forward to embrace your grace
more than we desire keeping the status quo.

Name where you’re resisting. Ask honestly: Where might God be inviting me forward—and where am I holding back? Write it down without defending yourself.
Listen before you decide. Spend five quiet minutes today simply saying, “Jesus, what are you longing to gather in me?” Don’t rush to respond. Just listen.
Loosen Your Grip on the Familiar. Identify one habit, assumption, or pattern that feels “safe” but may be limiting growth. Offer it to God—without promising to fix it yet.
Practice willingness. Pray this simple prayer: “Lord, make me willing to want what you want.” Willingness often comes before clarity.
Choose Shelter Over Self-Protection. When fear or control rises this week, pause and imagine yourself stepping under Christ’s wings instead of managing things alone.