There's a Peanuts cartoon that I've kept for years that I think speaks to this text.

In the first frame, Lucy is standing next to a tree. Looking up, she shouts to Linus, "What are you doing in that tree?"

Linus answers from the branches of the tree, "Looking for something." Then he adds, "Can you see Snoopy? We climbed up here together, but now I don't see him."

Lucy unsympathetically shouts back up the tree, "Beagles can't climb trees." The next frame shows Snoopy falling out of the tree right on his head with a loud "klunk." "You're right!" Snoopy concludes.

Then Lucy lets Snoopy have it, "You stupid Beagle, what are you doing climbing around in a tree?" Snoopy's sore head is still spinning.

Linus interrupts from the tree, "Don't yell at him.... We're trying to find a strange creature in a nest...."

Lucy walks off saying, "You're both crazy! Go ahead and knock yourselves out! I couldn't care less!!"

Then Snoopy with his head still sore and spinning things, "Rats...I was hoping for a hug!"

When we've been stupid and we have hurt ourselves we generally like to be hugged. Children know this; snoopy knew it; but we adults sometimes get it wrong. We don't like to admit our faults. God help us if there are a lot of Lucy's around. Jesus looks out over the city of Jerusalem, badly in need of divine comfort. In their stupidity they have killed the Prophets and stoned the messengers of God. They need to experience God's forgiveness but they are doing it again. Jesus has come with a word of grace and they will not listen. As a result the house of Israel will be left desolate.