The Second Sunday of Lent Hen in the Foxhouse Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen! In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares Himself to a mother hen: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”
Dear Christian friends, In our English language, we have a good figure of speech that we use to describe foolish and dangerous decisions. We say, “Thus-and-such would be like letting the fox into the henhouse.” For example, during our nation’s recent financial crisis, the federal government has been buying and selling banks. Some people might look at our government’s financial reputation and say, “Government involvement in banking is like letting the fox into the henhouse.” Another example: would you hire a convicted murderer to be your babysitter, or a notorious thief to manage your accounts? Probably not. That would be like “letting the fox into the henhouse.” This is a very descriptive phrase, “letting the fox into the henhouse.” Most people know that foxes are notoriously dangerous to chickens, and a “fox in the henhouse” will surely spell disaster for the entire flock. In today’s Gospel, Jesus turns upside-down this phrase, “a fox in the henhouse.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows Himself to be the HEN in the FOXhouse. Some Pharisees came and said to Him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘I finish My course. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!’” Herod the Fox Jesus did not call King Herod a fox in order to compliment Herod’s good looks, as we might sometimes call a person “foxy.” Jesus called Herod a fox in order to describe Herod’s disposition and attitude toward other people. Herod was as sly, cunning, and self-serving as a fox. Herod could not be trusted any more than a fox can be trusted with caring for a hen. Herod was a vicious enemy with the easy power to kill, in the same way that a fox can quickly and easily snap a hen’s neck in his jaws. And Herod was snapping his jaws, so to speak, at Jesus. As you heard in today’s Gospel, “At that very hour, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill You.’” Jesus the Hen Why it is important for you to hear Jesus call Herod “that fox”? Because Jesus is the hen! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” • In the same way that a hen will spread her wings over her chicks, in order to cover them and protect them from the predator, so also has Jesus spread His wings over you! This is what God has promised you, concerning His Son Jesus: “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4; Ruth 2:12). This is also why God has given you the Words of Psalm 17, and Psalm 36, and Psalm 57, so that you may pray, “Hide me in the shadow of Your wings, O Lord” (Psalm 17:8. Cf. 36:6 and 57:1). • While a hen covers her brood with her wings, she also offers her own back to the fox. She shields the lives of her offspring by offering her own life as a target for the predator. In the same way, our Jesus also “gave His back to those who strike” (Isaiah 50:6), so that you and I may be protected from those who strike. • Jesus also wants you to know that, when you are under His wing—like a brood would gather beneath the wings of the hen—your safety is unassailable, complete and secure. That is why it is written, “In the shadow of your wings, O Lord, I will sing for joy” (Psalm 63:7). • “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Why would Jesus gather you under His wings? Because God has promised you that you will find every form of health and restoration, forgiveness and peace, beneath the wings, so to speak, of Jesus. This is why the prophet Malachi wrote concerning Jesus, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise for you with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2). You the Chick If Herod is the fox and Jesus is the hen, where are you? Jesus wants you to know that you are a chick in the brood, so to speak, hidden under the hen’s protective wing. First Jesus says, “How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Then Jesus adds, “But you would not.” Jesus adds the words, “but you would not,” because there is nothing more defenseless than baby chick. (A chick can drown in its own drinking water!) It is very hard for the persistent sinful flesh to admit, but we are each as weak and helpless as a baby chick. The people of Jerusalem used to “kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to her.” Why? Because the prophets preached that the people were defenseless as chicks, needing the protective care a mother hen. That is why Jesus indicts Jerusalem in today’s Gospel by saying to them, “I would have gathered… but you would not.” Each of us should take warning from Jesus’ Words, “I would have gathered… but you would not.” With these Words, Jesus wants us to know that • we have no defenses, apart from Him. Only danger and death await for us when we depart from the safety and cover of Jesus’ wings. • we each must allow our own will to be broken, so that God’s will may be done in our lives. God wills to gather us; God wills to save us and protect us from all evil; God wills to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life. God forbid that the Words of Jesus, spoken to Jerusalem, ever become the Words of Jesus spoken to us: “I would have gathered… but you would not.” May God grant each of us the continuing aid of His Holy Spirit, so that we would not run, but would instead hide “under His wings” (Psalm 91:4). The HEN in the FOXhouse Some Pharisees came and said to Him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘I finish My course. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!’” In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls Herod “that fox.” Jesus also compares Himself to “a hen [that] gathers her brood” and us to the brood of chicks hiding beneath His wings. With these simple images, Jesus has painted a wonderful and comforting picture for us in this Gospel! Rather than Herod being like a fox in a henhouse, Jesus has shown Himself to be the HEN in the FOXhouse. That is to say, Jesus • will not allow Himself to be deterred from Jerusalem, from His cross, and from His death for our life. Herod wanted to intimidate Jesus and divert our Lord from His path—but Jesus will have nothing to do with it! “GO tell that fox, ‘I finish My course.’ I will NOT be deterred,” says the Lord. “I will NOT be turned aside, to the right or to the left. • is fully aware of Herod’s deadly power—a power that Herod will bring to bear against Jesus soon enough. Jesus stretches out His wings and bares His back to the fox so that He and only He will feel teeth and suffer the death. By baring His back to the fox in this manner, Jesus our “hen” allows us, His brood, safe escape from the jaws of death. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list Sermons@cat41.org http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
