March 17, 2019 Lent 2C

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is warned about impending danger.

Luke 13:31, “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’”

This was a real danger. Herod had already had John the Baptist arrested and beheaded. John was arrested because he had spoken against Herod and his family, and he was beheaded because Herod’s wife wanted to get revenge. We are not told why Herod wanted to kill Jesus, but I suppose it was because Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of God and Herod might think that Jesus was going to try to become the new king of Israel and take the kingdom away from Herod. Remember that when Jesus was on trail before Pilate, this was one of the charges against Jesus, so Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” So there was a real danger to Jesus from Herod.

But when warned, Jesus did not leave that place as suggested. He stayed because he had work to do there. He stayed because he knew the plan of God. He knew that Herod could not kill him in the Northern Province of Galilee because he knew that his mission was to die on the cross in Jerusalem. And so Jesus answered those who came to him in this way:

“He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”

Jesus might have been talking about his death and resurrection on the third day. His death would be against the devil and would heal people from their sin, and on the third day the goal of salvation would be reached. Jesus knew this plan of God, and so Jesus could be bold and call Herod a “fox.” A fox might be tricky, but it is in no way powerful like a lion or bear. At the trial in Jerusalem, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod who was in the city for the Passover festival (Luke 23:6ff). At that time Herod the fox just wanted to see some magic tricks. He mocked Jesus and then sent him back to Pilate dressed in kingly robes.

Then Jesus speaks words that could be either comfort or a warning to us.

“O 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, but you were not willing! 35 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.’”

We often have the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and we are his sheep and lambs. But today Jesus is the Good Hen and we are his chicks. Perhaps the reason Jesus compared himself to a hen protecting her chicks, was because he had called Herod a “fox.” T

here is the old expression, “to be like a fox in the henhouse.” If a fox gets into the chicken coop, it can kill dozens of birds, just for the excitement of killing, and not even eating any of the birds. Herod is that sort of wanton killer. So, in the face of Herod the Fox, Jesus will be like the Hen that gathers her chicks under her wings. Even if the fox attacks the hen and kills her, the chicks are protected under her body and are safe. Jesus will be killed on the cross. But we who have found shelter under his outstretched arms will be safe.

But there is a problem. Little chicks like to wander around. They don’t want to stay under the wings of their mother. They are the original meaning of the old expression; they want to “get out from under their mother’s wings.” Little chicks have a big world to explore, they want to see what a cat looks like, and they want to try fighting on their own. They are just like us. Sometimes we might feel smothered under the protective wings of Jesus, we feel that his laws and regulations and commandments are preventing us from exploring and enjoying the world. The church is just a clucking hen trying to suffocate us. We are like what Jesus said about the city of Jerusalem.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.” Put your name there. “O Michael, Michael.” Put our church there. “O Okinawa Lutheran Church, O Okinawa Lutheran Church members.” Jesus is constantly calling us in love. He does not run away. He comes to us. We celebrate that in trust and faith. Jesus comes to us in word and sacrament and we sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.”

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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