Luke 19:43

"Because the days will come upon you, and your enemies will surround you with a rampart; and they will encircle you, and hem you in on every side." For the Roman princes are indicated when it is said: "Because the days will come upon you, and your enemies will surround you with a rampart." Who are ever greater enemies of the human soul than the malignant spirits, who besiege it as it departs from the body, whom they nourished with deceitful pleasures while it was placed in love of the flesh? They surround it with a rampart, because by bringing back before the eyes of its mind the iniquities which it perpetrated, they constrict it, dragging it to the fellowship of their damnation, so that caught now in the very extremity of life, it may see both by what enemies it is surrounded, and yet be unable to find a way of escape, because it is no longer permitted to perform the good works which, when it was permitted to do them, it despised.

(Hom. 39. in Ev.) By these words the Roman leaders are pointed out. For that overthrow of Jerusalem is described, which was made by the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus.

Because the days will come upon you, and your enemies will build an embankment around you. And they will surround you and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground, you and your children within you. This is also added: …

Third, as to the approaching destruction of the royal city, he adds: Because the days shall come upon you, and your enemies shall surround you with a rampart, through siege, according to that passage of Ezekiel four: "Take to yourself a brick, and you shall …

For the days shall come upon thee,....

Cast a trench about thee - This was literally fulfilled when this city was besieged by Titus. Josephus gives a very particular account of the building of this wall, which he says was effected in three days, though it was not less than thirty-nine furlongs in circumference; and that, when this wall and trench were completed, the Jews were so enclosed on every side that no person could escape out of the city, and no provision could be brought in, so that they were reduced to the most terrible distress by the famine which ensued.

12.3,4.) All here predicted was with dreadful literality fulfilled. SECOND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE, AND SUBSEQUENT TEACHING. As the first cleansing was on His first visit to Jerusalem (Joh 2:13-22), so this second cleansing was on His last. den of thieves--banded together for plunder, reckless of principle.

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when beheld . . . wept--Compare La 3:51, "Mine eye affecteth mine heart"; the heart again affecting the eye. Under this sympathetic law of the relation of mind and body, Jesus, in His beautiful, tender humanity, was constituted even as we.

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We learn, firstly, from these verses — how great is the tenderness and compassion of Christ towards sinners. We are told that when He came near Jerusalem for the last time, "He beheld the city, and wept over it." He well knew the character of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Their cruelty, their self-righteousness, their stubbornness, their obstinate prejudice against the truth, their pride of heart — were not hidden from Him.

We learn, firstly, from these verses — how great is the tenderness and compassion of Christ towards sinners. We are told that when He came near Jerusalem for the last time, "He beheld the city, and wept over it." He well knew the character of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Their cruelty, their self-righteousness, their stubbornness, their obstinate prejudice against the truth, their pride of heart — were not hidden from Him. He well knew what they were going to do to Him within a very few days — His unjust judgment, His delivery to the Romans, His sufferings, His crucifixion — were all spread out distinctly before His mind's eye! And yet knowing all this, our Lord pitied Jerusalem! "He beheld the city, and wept over it." We err greatly if we suppose that Christ cares for none but His own believing people. He cares for all. His heart is wide enough to take an interest in all mankind. His compassion extends to every man, woman, and child on earth. He has a love of 'general pity' for the man who is going on still in wickedness — as well as a love of 'special affection' for the sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hardened sinners are fond of making excuses for their conduct. But they will never be able to say that Christ was not merciful, and was not ready to save. We know but little of true Christianity, if we do not feel a deep concern about the souls of unconverted people. A lazy indifference about the spiritual state of others — may doubtless save us much trouble. To have no concern whether our neighbors are going to Heaven or Hell — is no doubt the way of the world. But a man of this spirit is very unlike David, who said, "Rivers of waters run down my eyes — because men do not obey your law."