GOSPEL CONTRADICTION? "O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, WHO KILL THE PROPHETS..." WHO WAS RIGHT, LUKE OR MATTHEW?
While I've been creating the Word for Word Bible Comic I came across some verses which appear in Matthew and in Luke but at different times in different contexts. I had no problem with it in the Matthew context as the words of Jesus make perfect sense there, but in Luke, the context seemed all wrong, so I had to look deeper.
“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, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Luke 13:34-35 and Matthew 23:37-39 NIV
STANDARD EXPLANATIONS
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus says this when leaving the Temple, the last time he teaches there before his capture and Crucifixion, so the line "Look, your house is left to you desolate" seems in context as he is leaving the ‘house’ and without Jesus, it is desolate spiritually. Then he says to the people of Jerusalem (who are there) "For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" which also fits the context.
But in Luke's account, he says these words outside Jerusalem, so the people of Jerusalem can't hear the words "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who..." so it seems Luke has editorialised things and the verse has ended up in the wrong location. Reading numerous commentaries on this I see that most scholars believe that Jesus either said the words twice (Stier, Pulpit Commentary) or that He said it just once and they justify their speculations about the positioning.
For example, if the words "For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" should be in Luke ordering, then Jesus means that the people of Jerusalem will see him and with palm fronds, sing these words at the 'triumphal entry' which does happen (Matt 21:9) (Wieseler, Paulus, Olshausen, Holtzmann, and others). However, I do not believe this would fit the broader meaning of his words and as Lange puts it "[Jesus] thereby would state nothing else than the term of His impending arrival in the capital".
However other Scholars believe that if it is not said twice the logical location should be as quoted in Matthew's gospel, for the reasons discussed above, and that these words refer to the Second Coming, similar to Matt 26:64. (Lange, Meyers).
However, although I've learned that some of the Gospel writers do reorder the events they describe (particularly Luke), we don't normally see a mix up of the quoted words and the explicit location or time that they are spoken like in this example. In regards to understanding and trusting the scriptures, this is not a huge issue as Jesus spoke the words and the statement's meaning is more important than the stated context, but as someone who believes the Bible to be inerrant and also someone depicting the scenes where the words are spoken I wasn't satisfied with the explanations given (above). I didn't want to draw the words spoken twice in different contexts if they were in truth spoken once and just re-ordered by Luke.
THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY
I believe I discovered the key to unlocking this mystery in the "Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges". In this commentary of Luke 13:34, they state "There is a remarkable parallel in 2 Esdras 1:30-33."
What is Esdras? I asked myself. Then, (as I'd suspected) I discovered it is a Book of the Apocrypha, (a collection of books that are not considered Biblical canon in Protestant churches but are included in a canon in the Roman Catholic, Syriac and Ethiopian traditions and parts of the Oriental Orthodox church) and is believed to be written by Ezra (of "The Book of Ezra" fame).
Now, before you abandon ship, I ask you to just read the passage (below) and even the whole one chapter book (bottom). I don't normally look at the Apocryphal Books but I was very surprised to see the similarity and would go as far as to say that (canon or not) it seems to me Jesus was quoting from this book:
(In the quote the Prophet is speaking the words of the Father)
"I gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But now, what shall I do to you? I will cast you out from my presence. When you offer oblations to me, I will turn my face from you; for I have rejected your festal days, and new moons, and circumcisions of the flesh. I sent you my servants the prophets, but you have taken and killed them and torn their bodies in pieces; I will require their blood of you, says the Lord. Thus says the Lord Almighty: Your house is desolate; I will drive you out as the wind drives straw..." 2 Esdras 1:30-33 NRSV
It seems to be all the same points, raised in the same few sentences, though slightly rearranged. Even "O Jerusalem" has its parallel with 2 Esdras 1:24 "What shall I do to you, O Jacob? You, Judah, would not obey me."
At the very end of Esdras, it also talks about people coming from the East to be with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a lot like 5 verses earlier in Luke.
"And now, father, look with pride and see the people coming from the east; to them I will give as leaders Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Hosea and Amos and Micah and Joel and Obadiah and Jonah and Nahum and Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, who is also called the messenger of the Lord." 2 Esdras 1:38-40
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 13:28-29.
As I said, I was very surprised, but it's not the only instance of canon scriptures quoting non-canonical scriptures. In Jude 1:14-15 he seems to be quoting the Book of Enoch, and the Assumption of Moses in another section.
CONCLUSION
So, I believe that although this prophecy of Ezra has not made it into Protestant Canon, Jesus is quoting it nevertheless, and because it is a quote of a relevant prophetic scripture that Jesus is saying, the exact words don't have to fit the exact situation (grammatically or specifically) as he is quoting and not speaking normally to the people there. It seems to me, then, that in both instances Jesus is quoting this scripture (known to the Pharisees) to remind them of the broader message of the Book of Esdras and how that links to the situation, or in Matthew's scenario, it's partial fulfilment.
BUT WAIT… THERE'S MORE
Probably like you, I'm not keen on relying on extra-Biblical sources to interpret the scripture in this way. But in this case, it seems clear to me that Jesus is employing 2 Esdras to make his point. While it's possible that this Scripture is not "inspired" and Jesus is just using a known text to make a point, it seems rather that Jesus is giving this somewhat forgotten (to us) text his seal of approval. So what else does it say? You can read the full one chapter book here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Esdras%201&version=NRSV
The other part that I found really interesting is where the prophecy goes following the section Christ mentions.
“Thus says the Lord Almighty: Your house is desolate; I will drive you out as the wind drives straw; and your sons will have no children, because with you they have neglected my commandment and have done what is evil in my sight. I will give your houses to a people that will come, who without having heard me will believe. Those to whom I have shown no signs will do what I have commanded. They have seen no prophets, yet will recall their former state. I call to witness the gratitude of the people that is to come, whose children rejoice with gladness; though they do not see me with bodily eyes, yet with the spirit they will believe the things I have said." 2 Esdras 1:33-37
To me this sounds a lot like what happened to the nation of Israel directly after the destruction of the temple, and then...who are these people who are to come, that are not of Israel but, though the Spirit, believe in God, do as he commands and rejoices with gladness and gratitude?
