Day 392: The fox and the hen – Luke 13 vs 31 – 35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for  Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.  33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’” 

34 “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 would not!  35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:31-35 English Standard Version

There are times when the traits of animals are good descriptions of human behaviour. We refer to people who are very shy as being 'sheepish', and to others as being 'as stubborn as a mule!' What do you think King Herod was like in the light of the term Jesus used for him in vs 32?

Foxes are usually thought of as being sly and cunning. They also attack hens and chickens. Interestingly, Jesus goes on to use the picture of a hen's protectiveness in vs 34. I recall reading of a hen that perished in a bush fire, but underneath its charred wings the firefighters found some chicks that were alive. So what was the message Jesus was giving to the people of Jerusalem when He used the picture of a hen? It surely speaks of the protectiveness that God longed to bless His people with. It's beautifully expressed in the Old Testament by a man named Boaz who was deeply impressed by the love and loyalty of a lady named Ruth to her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi. Boaz says to Ruth: “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:12) Naomi and Ruth had been in a desperate situation, but they found the protection and help they needed under 'God's wings'.

Sadly, Jesus knew full well that Jerusalem had a terrible reputation when it came to the prophets God sent to call them away from sin and to the love and care He wanted to give them (vs 34), and He prophesies what the result of their rejection of Him would lead to. (vs 35) So if we look then at what He said in vs 33, what does that tell us about Jesus?

He knew what lay ahead of Him, but He had come to do the Father's will and threats and warnings were not going to make Him turn aside from that mission. Remember that in vs 31 some were telling Him that Herod was seeking His life. He had time to turn away from Jerusalem, where He was headed, and save Himself. But He was the good shepherd willing to lay down His life to save the sheep. Sheep are well known for getting lost and needing rescue. Jesus Christ came to seek the lost. He is the ultimate refuge for sinners.

Our main response to today's reading should be to give heartfelt praise and thanks to Christ for finishing the course set before Him. It led to rejection, suffering, a cross and a tomb. But it resulted in a glorious resurrection and life for those He had come to save.

But there’s also a challenge to His followers which is well illustrated in the life of the apostle Paul. In Acts 20 Paul was also on his way to Jerusalem, and this is what he says in vs 22-24: “Now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” May we also have the same determination and courage to finish the course of following Jesus in this world, no matter what lies ahead of us.