Teaching Team
Unless You Say... ברוך הבא
As mentioned in previous blogs here, here and here, we are currently in a period called the "Three Weeks" or "Between the Straights" on the biblical Jewish calendar. In Jewish communities around the world, the destructions of the First and Second Temples are remembered and "joy is decreased."
Another major calamity that is recalled during these days is the current exile of the Jewish people. Though many Jews see the State of Israel as a "first flowering of the redemption," it is not seen as a full fulfillment of the Messianic Era foreseen by the prophets. The current exile reaches all the way back to the first and second centuries CE when the Jewish people were first expelled from the land by the Roman Empire.
The Master's words in Matthew 23:37 gives us an added insight into that exile. Following on the heels of his stern rebuke of the Pharisees earlier in Matthew 23, verses 37-39 are a unique glimpse into the heart of our Master. His stern words did not come out of anger or hatred, but rather out of a heavy and sorrow-laden heart.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' (emphasis added)
In this stirring passage, the Master reveals that he had desired to gather the exiles together. Notice that even though the Jewish people resided in the land at that time, it was not considered as though the exile was over. From Babylonian deportation, to Medo-Persian oversight, to Syrian-Greek persecution, to Roman occupation, Israel never truly lived free of foreign entanglement. Even the brief period of "freedom" under the Hasmonean kings prior to Rome's occupation, Israel was ravaged by civil war as Davidic wannabes grappled over the throne.
And yet, "how often" had God desired to end the occupation, return the exiles, establish the kingdom, etc. Yet Israel "would not." What does Yeshua mean Israel "would not?" Of course they wanted the exile to end. Who wouldn't want a foreign occupier to leave?
Though it was easy to identify the external exile around them, Israel had not seen the true root of the exile, the unrepentant hearts that lay within them. Whether driven by the greed for power (Sadducees), a hollow shell of religious piety (Pharisees), a bloodthirsty radicalism (Zealots), or a self-absorbed escapism (Essenes), Israel as a whole had not heeded the words of the prophets sent to them. Even with the coming of God's Son, Jerusalem had not responded to his message during his repeated visits there (as recorded in John's Gospel).
Yeshua ends his lament with a rather enigmatic statement. "You will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" What does this mean?
The verse, "Blessed is he..." is supposed to remind us of the crowds of Jerusalem who chanted this same verse as the Master rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey (Matthew 21). In essence, this declaration was acknowledgment that Yeshua did indeed come in the name of the Lord. That he was the Anointed One of God. The King of Israel. Many had come to believe. Many had not.
What about the phrase "until you say?" Is this a prediction? "You will not see me again, until [you will one day] say, 'Blessed is he...'" This is often how this verse is interpreted. But given the emphatic negative "You will not see me again," a positive prediction hardly fits the context.
I suggest, as other commentators have, that this is a conditional statement. You will not see me again, unless you say, 'Bless is he...' The Greek preposition εως αν (eos an) marks an "unreal condition." In other words: if you were to do such and such, you would see me, but whether you will do so remains unknown. Thus, the condition on which Jerusalem could be restored is laid out, but there is no guarantee as to when or if this will occur. The choice lies with every generation. The hope of redemption is made available to any who makes teshuvah (repentance) in Yeshua's name.
Thus, we see the centrality of the Messiah in our current observance of the Three Weeks. The key to turning the sorrow into gladness lies in Israel's recognition of the King of Israel. We as believers certainly mourn over the loss of the Temples and the prolonged exile of the Jewish people. Yet, we have joy in the midst of sorrow. If Israel would only acknowledge Yeshua as the Messiah, there will be no need for the Three Weeks. The exile would be over.
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Visitor Feedback:
The phrase is, "Between the straits."
Is this referring to the citizens of Jerusalem, or all Jews worldwide?
Chaya | July 27, 2008 9:49 AM