WILLING TO GATHER
Dani Bucholtz
Today’s Scripture: “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 were not willing!” Matthew 23:37, ESV
Theme: Godly parents (and leaders) remain available and willing to comfort and protect their children, even when they are disobedient, hurtful, or unwilling to receive help.
A HEART THAT STAYS OPEN
In our Scripture passage for today, Jesus is not speaking to children in the way we might expect. He is speaking to people who had rejected him; people who had been given truth, guidance, and opportunity, yet chose their own way. Still, His response is not anger or distance. It is grief. It is longing. It is love that remains willing.
Jesus says He desired to gather them, to protect them, to bring them close. But they were not willing. That tension is real, offering love that is not received.
WHEN LOVE ISN’T RETURNED
Just last week, I was talking with a friend about this very thing, our adult children and how hard it can be to step back while still being present. There comes a point when you can no longer direct, fix, or shield them from every consequence. They make their own decisions. Sometimes those decisions are painful to watch. Sometimes they are hurtful. And yet, the call to parenting remains the same: not to control, but to stay available; not to force, but to remain willing.
God models this for us. He does not withdraw His love when we resist Him. He does not stop being present when we choose differently. Instead, He continues to extend grace, offering protection and comfort, even when it is refused.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STRENGTH
It takes strength to love this way. To remain open, without controlling. To offer comfort without demanding acceptance. To stay steady when your heart wants to pull back.
Jesus shows us that godly love does not disappear when it is rejected. It remains. It waits. It is ready and hopeful that the wanderer will come home.
Make it Personal: Is there someone in your life, maybe an adult child or someone you lead, who is choosing a path you wouldn’t choose for them? What would it look like to remain available without trying to control the outcome? Ask God to help you reflect His heart in that relationship.
Pray: Lord, thank You for the way You love me, even when I resist or go my own way. Help me to reflect that same kind of love to others. Give me wisdom to know when to step back, and strength to remain available. Help me to stay open, steady, and willing, just as You are with me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read: Matthew 23:34–39; Luke 13:34, Luke 15:20
Weekly Memory Verse: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4, ESV