Matthew 23:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord next turns to address the city, desiring to instruct His hearers thereby. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem: this repetition of the name is a mark of compassion and intense love.

Christ declares that you will not behold Him until His return. At that time, the Jews will honor Him, even against their desires, proclaiming, “Blessed is He who comes.” The phrase “From henceforth” should be understood as referring to the moment of the crucifixion, rather than the instant these words are spoken. Following that moment, the Jews encountered Him on multiple occasions, but after His crucifixion, they did not see Him again, nor will they do so until His second coming.

These insights offer a faith-based reflection. When the complete number of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:25) is fulfilled, and they place their faith in Christ, the Jews who come to believe afterward will witness the splendor of Christ's divinity. They will recognize the Father in the Son and proclaim that He is the Savior foretold by the prophets, as the prophet indicated He would come in the name of the Lord (Ps. 117:26). The previous prophets did not come in this name; they declared, "I am a servant of the Lord," and revered the God of heaven (Jon. 1:9).

Where is that omnipotence, by the which He did whatsoever pleased Him both in heaven and in earth, if He would have gathered the children of Jerusalem and did not? Was it not that she would not that her children should be gathered by Him, and yet He did, notwithstanding, gather those of her children whom He would?

I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me, &c. That is to say, Unless ye shall do penitence, and shall confess that I am He of whom the Prophets have spoken, the Son of the Almighty Father, ye shall not see My face. Thus the Jews have a time allowed for their repentance. Let them confess Him blessed who cometh in the name of the Lord, and they shall then behold Christ’s face.

When will they utter it? Not of their own accord—they will never proclaim it willingly, but rather involuntarily at the moment of His glorious return, when He arrives in tremendous power and majesty, at a point when such a declaration will no longer hold any value for them. “Ne imate Mene videtet”—these words come from a deep yearning, reflecting the sentiments of one who loves dearly but faces rejection and thus experiences profound sorrow. In referencing afar, He indicated not only that specific moment but all the times preceding His afflictions, after which He was no longer seen. While He did show Himself to some following the Resurrection, the unbelieving Jews were not among those to witness Him. “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord”—this proclamation from David is further elucidated in the twenty-first chapter.

He calls them children of Jerusalem, just as we call each generation of citizens the sons of the preceding generation. And He says, How often, though it is well known that once only did He teach the Jews in the body, because Christ was ever present in Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Angels, ministering to human salvation in every generation. Whosoever shall not have been gathered in by Him shall be judged, as though he had refused to be gathered in.

Let heretics then cease to assign to Christ a beginning from the Virgin; let them leave off to preach one God of the Law and another of the Prophets.

The contemplation of Jerusalem's impending destruction stirs a profound compassion in the Lord, leading Him to sadly declare His judgment upon it—withdraw His presence from the temple, revoke His bodily companionship, and remove His protective care.

Certain Gospel interpreters believe that Jesus Christ expressed anger towards the scribes and Pharisees. However, this is not the case. His denunciation of these wicked and hypocritical leaders stemmed not from anger, but from immense sorrow—an immense sorrow that we might struggle to comprehend. This sorrow was evident during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where, despite the nation’s rejoicing, He wept for the fate of the holy city and God's chosen people. It was the same sorrow that led Him, just two days later, to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane for a delay in the fulfillment of God's will. To suggest that Christ harbored anger towards the scribes and Pharisees is to misplace their shortcomings onto Him.

The storm of retribution was looming over them, ready to unleash its full fury upon their guilty heads. Yet, at that moment, the voice which had been filled with just wrath shifted to express the deepest compassion for the afflicted city: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left desolate. For I say to you, you will not see Me from now on until you declare, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,’’ which means you will proclaim this as the crowd did upon My entry into Jerusalem, but by then it will be too late. This prophecy was fulfilled with chilling precision during the siege and conquest of Jerusalem when indeed ‘the house of the Jews was left empty,’ reduced to ruins and decay.

You will no longer behold Me: the time of grace has ended for you, and I will not be seen as your compassionate Savior again—I will stand before you as a fearsome Judge. When He says "henceforth," He is not referring to this moment alone but to the entire period leading up to His suffering. In the temple, the Lord was no longer recognized as such from that point forward, but following His resurrection, He revealed Himself "not to all the people," but only "to the witnesses chosen beforehand by God" (Acts 10:41). "Until you will proclaim, 'Blessed is He,'” He speaks of the future moment of His return. He conveys to the most skeptical that they will ultimately worship Him involuntarily at that time.

Jerusalem, viewed as a frequent target for the persecution of prophets (Luke 13:33), was destined to face God's condemnation. Thus, the Lord voiced His sorrow and love, reproaching the city with poignant words: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" He concluded His lament with a dire warning: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; for I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he th