Luke 13:35, commentary and pictures

Weeping on Olivet while looking on Jerusalem and its temple, He lamented the city that kills the prophets and refuses His repeated longing to gather her children as a hen gathers her brood, speaking in anguish not for Himself but for those who felt no remorse. The house left desolate is the temple and the city itself, abandoned because God's presence is withdrawn so its services become empty forms. The declaration marks the end of probationary time and the last day of mercy, when by dishonoring God and rejecting light and entreaties the city seals its own doom and forges its own fetters, consummated when His own people crucify Him within a few short hours and the proud city is laid in ruins. His absence will last until a future time when they will welcome and acknowledge the one coming in the Lord's name, though those who held the other view teach they will acknowledge Him at His return in glory but too late for salvation. Jerusalem here stands as a symbol of the world that rejects His grace, so the same warning now applies to everyone and to every household that refuses His calls and turns to sin, until grace can no longer be accepted.

Words and Historical Setting

The lament stands immediately after the warning about the shut door and exclusion from the kingdom and after the answer to the Pharisees concerning Herod, that He must go on His appointed course because a prophet cannot perish outside Jerusalem. It was uttered in tears on the crest of Olivet during the triumphal entry, while He looked upon Jerusalem and its temple of white marble gilded by the setting sun. At that moment the shouting multitude expected Him to take the throne of David and reign as a temporal prince.

It mourns Jerusalem which kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, and which refused His repeated desire to gather her children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Israel had been given every advantage, yet rejected her messengers, and then for three years the divine Messenger Himself knocked at the gates, worked unselfishly, pleaded for admittance, scattered blessings, and with unwearied patience let waves of mercy return again and again against indifference, contempt, and closed rocky hearts. The wording marks deliberate refusal rather than inability, for it is ye would not, not ye could not.

It was spoken in anguish and sorrow, not for Himself but for those who despised His love and rejected His mercy and felt no remorse, the last tears of rejected love over the disobedient city. His prophetic eye saw the future of Jerusalem even as He wept. The house left desolate is the temple and the city, declared abandoned and desolate so that it is no longer the house of God. God's presence was withdrawn from the temple, its services and ceremonies became empty forms, its veil was to be rent, the glory God designed for the chosen nation removed, and the grace that brings salvation no longer heard in the city. That declaration of coming ruin directly threatened the priests and rulers who heard it, and though its full meaning was not immediately understood, the words stayed with attentive listeners and later helped bring many to truth.

Desolation, Judgment and Return

Desolation is being left alone after persistent refusal of all efforts to gather and save, bringing judgment and the withdrawal of mercy. The heart is hardened and given into the power of Satan until grace can no longer be accepted. No greater manifestation of love can be given than has been given, and if the love of Jesus does not soften and subdue the soul there are no other means by which it can be reached. The city is not forsaken because He desires to leave it to its doom, but because by dishonoring God and rejecting light, warnings, and entreaties it seals its own doom and forges its own fetters and loads its own cloud of wrath. He had long sought to save His people and was reluctant to pronounce judgment, but they would not receive His warnings and gracious invitations or come to Him for life.

The verse marks the end of probationary time and the last day of mercy and pleading love. When defiant resistance continues, retribution becomes inevitable and irrevocable, and the things belonging to peace are hidden from the eyes. It points to imminent destruction tied to sorrow over refusal and to the coming destruction of Jerusalem. That destruction is consummated when, within a few short hours, the Jews take the world's Redeemer by wicked hands and crucify Him, not Romans or Gentiles but the people for whom He had done so much, bringing final calamities upon themselves. Then the house is left desolate and is no longer the house of God, its veil rent, the glory God designed for the chosen nation removed, and the grace that brings salvation no longer heard in the city.

The cursing of the barren fig tree is the final symbolic action connected with that destruction. Refusal to repent and change practices brought the calamity that laid the proud city in ruins. Yet when He wept the doom could still have been averted and escaped. If the people had honestly searched Scripture, recognized the evidence of His Messiahship, accepted His teaching, and repented and changed their practices while heaven's gift remained open for acceptance, they could still have repented and escaped that doom.

The absence He announces lasts until a future time when they will welcome and acknowledge the one coming in the Lord's name, and until then they will not see Him. His words also point to that future time when He will be seen and welcomed as coming in the Lord's name. He will be seen no more by His accusers until He returns in glory. Then they will acknowledge Him as the one who comes in the Lord's name, but too late for their salvation.

Warning Beyond Jerusalem

Jerusalem in the lament stands as a symbol of the world that rejects and despises grace, so the grief over the city is also a warning to the world. Its desolation represents the doom awaiting all who reject grace. Yet when the tears were shed the doom could still have been escaped by repentance, while heaven's gift remained open for acceptance.

The same warning rests now on everyone who refuses gracious calls and the message of mercy and fails to open the door of the heart, bringing loss of blessing and judgment. Desolation is being left alone after persistent rejection, with the heart hardened and given into Satan's power until grace can no longer be accepted. No greater manifestation of love can be given than has been given, and if that love does not soften and subdue the soul there are no other means to reach it. Each refusal strengthens unbelief and diminishes the chance of responding to the last appeal of mercy. The words were spoken in sorrow over a people who would not see Him again until a future time when they would welcome the one coming in the Lord's name.

A household becomes desolate in the same way when its members refuse His conditions and turn from His sacred influence to sinful customs and worldly amusements. He then sorrowfully withdraws, leaving the home without His presence to guide and bless it.