Luke
13:31-35
Our Lenten journey continues, as this
Sunday finds Jesus continuing on the road to Jerusalem. Some gospel writers place Jesus on the outer
banks of the city for this story but Luke simply has Jesus on the road of
ministry. He is traveling between
villages, continuing to spread the gospel, as he also continues to move ever
closer to the time of his death.
Jesus continues to share his special
mix of uncomfortable stories with the people he encounters. The religious leaders of the time cannot help
but notice the ideas he preaches; from the narrow door through which only a few
may enter, to stories of people coming from east and west, north and south, the
things that Jesus says are definitely thought provoking. Jesus also continues to lift up that pesky
message about the first being last and the last being first.
It is into this setting that the
Pharisees arrive. They tell Jesus to
flee, since Herod is on the lookout for him.
It is hard to believe that his religious rivals would be watching his
back. It seems more likely that they
just want to see the back of him as we walks away, leaving their cities and
their nice little synagogues to themselves.
Most religious teachers, myself included, are not very excited about
those who would bring a rival religious message into town.
Jesus will not be swayed by their
argument. He is not afraid of them or of
the one they represent, and he tells them so.
He is on a plan for mission and ministry and though he is aware that his
time is limited, he also knows that he has time enough left to work. “Go and tell that fox for me, I am casting
out demons today and healing folks tomorrow and on the third day I finish but
right now I am busy.” He then goes on to
lament over the broken state of Jerusalem, the city that kills the
prophets. In wonderful imagery he
compares himself to a hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings but
they are unwilling.
There are several avenues for
interpretation of this text, but what kept popping into my head this week was
that silly song, “What does the fox say?”
You might remember it from a few years ago. It was a silly song by a European band that
had a catchy beat and was very popular on the internet. The song itself has little bearing on the
text, if anything, but the question it asks does. What does Herod the fox say that is different
from the message that Jesus was spreading?
What sort of things do the foxes of our own day and age say?
Jesus refers to Herod as a fox and it
clearly has negative connotations. In
the Hellenistic world of the time, foxes were thought to be clever but also
unprincipled. In Jesus’ Jewish culture,
foxes are among the ranks of unclean animals and they are associated with
destruction in several Old Testament passages.
In our own day and age, most people think of foxes as being cute. But we also place them in the category of sly
and cunning creatures, not a positive trait for a human.
Herod certainly is worthy of the
comparison. The ruler of Jerusalem at
the time of Jesus was Herod Antipas. The
whole royal family was disliked for their collaboration with Rome. Though they were Jewish, they seemed to side
with the Roman occupiers in matters of power and influence. Many people thought of them as traitors to
the Jewish faith. Earlier in the gospel
of Luke, we read that John the Baptist had been preaching against Herod for
taking his brother’s wife for himself.
We also read of the be-heading of John at Herod’s command. Herod is certainly a cunning man of vast
power, who is ruler of Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets.
So, what does Herod the fox say? He says that one dare not speak against him,
against his actions, or against his royal family. Herod says that the nation of Israel’s
collusion with the corrupt Roman Empire is of no consequence. Herod says that anyone who dares challenge
him will die, and Herod makes sure to follow through on the threat. Herod says that he is in control, he has all
the power, and prophets and others be damned.
That is what the fox says.
One doesn’t have to look far for foxes
in our modern world today. I know I keep
coming back to the presidential elections, like you I read the newspaper and
watch TV, and so I keep finding Biblical references there. What are the foxes saying today about their
rise to power and the things it takes to hold on to power? The foxes are saying that money rules
all. The foxes are saying that America
is for Americans only. The foxes are
saying that if you work hard enough, you can be a millionaire. The foxes are saying that this country is in
control of the world and if you disagree we will deal with you with
violence. It is highly likely that the
foxes are also saying that those who speak against the ways of this nation
ought to be dealt with. Just like in
Herod’s time, the foxes are ready to kill the prophets and stone those who are
sent their way.
Jesus presents himself as the counter
example to the fox. “How often have I
desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her
wings, and you were not willing!” We
know what mothers are like, fierce protectors and dispensers of care and
love. We also can easily imagine this
image of a mother hen, wings spread broadly, protecting and providing warmth
for her chicks. But what does the hen
say?
Well, if Jesus is the hen, then the
hen says all sorts of things. The hen
says the first will be last and the last will be first. The hen says all who are weary and heavy
laden, come to me and I will give you rest.
The hen says take up your cross and follow me. The hen says that the son of man came not to
be served, but to serve. The hen gathers
in the lost ones; the prodigal, the leper, the tax collector, the sinner, and
the outcast. The hen is one who
challenges the world with love and mercy.
One also doesn’t have to look far to
find hens in our modern world. They are
those in social services, working to gather in and care for the abused and
orphaned. They are those that are
working to glean and share food with the hungry in our world. They are those striving to provide healthcare
for folks who do not have the financial ability to obtain it. They are those continuing to call for peace
in our nation and in our world. What
does the hen say? The hen says all lives
matter. The hen says all people are of
value and worth saving. And the hens
says that it shouldn’t be every man for himself, rather everyone should work
together for the greater good of everyone else.
The hen can be found in church when we
are doing things right. There will
always be a fox or two in the hen house, but in general the church should be a
place that lifts up and cares for the broken individuals of our world. The church should be a place that spreads its
wings broad and wide in an effort to embrace as many people as possible within
God’s loving arms.
We are faced with a contrast of voices
in our world today, just as Jesus and his followers were faced with a contrast
in their own world. The foxes are always
in power. The hens are always on the
sidelines, preaching a different message.
Jesus seems to know that the message he brings will not be heard. As he laments over the city of Jerusalem he
declares, “See, your house is left to you.”
Nowadays we would say, “You’ve made your bed, now you lie in it.” The people had a chance to choose, and the
people chose the way of the fox.
We too have a chance to choose. Will we be swayed by what the fox says every
night on the news, or will we be swayed by the message of the hen that we hear
in church each Sunday. The voice we
choose to listen to will determine the life we live, and as Jesus says, “see,
your house is left to you.” It’s up to
you to determine what kind of house that will be.
The season of Lent is a time for
reflection. It is a time to pay
attention to the ways that we live our daily lives and to be mindful of the
words we say and the things we do. This
week we are called to consider if we are following foxes or following
hens. Jesus has made it clear that he is
busy, he is on the road to Jerusalem, and whether or not we chose to follow him
on the path of sacrifice is up to us. Amen.
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