The Fox and the Hen
Luke 13:31-35
We move to the second week of
Lent. Today’s passage talks about two kinds of animals, the fox and the hen.
These two animals have serious problems with each other. As kids, we heard so
many stories about how the fox did all kind of tricks to get the hen and eat
it.
You all know the story of the
crow and the cunning fox, which had a special way to trick the crow. Crows are known
for their awful voice. A fox once found a crow that had a piece of cheese in its
mouth. The fox was hungry and wanted to get that cheese. So it started to talk
highly about the crow’s voice. The fox exalted the crow’s singing ability and beautiful
voice. It insisted that crow sings a song. Finally, the crow opened its mouth
and started singing. The cheese fell and the fox grabbed it and ran away. (Cunning,
deceitful- Khapepa in Armenian)
Today’s passage starts with
some Pharisees warning Jesus about a trap that is coming up. “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him,
"Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” (31)
We don’t know who these
people were. It seems they cared for Jesus. They could be the Nicodemus, or
Joseph of Arimathea. Perhaps there were others who
believed in Jesus and whose names we do not know.
It is also possible that they
were not interested in the ministry of Jesus. On the contrary, the warning was
coming from the King himself to close the mouth of Jesus. Everyone had heard
about John the Baptist’s tragic death. The same could happen to Jesus.
The answer of Jesus is a
tough one; it is painful yet victorious.
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
First Jesus refuses to disappear
from the scene. He is there for a mission, and this mission is going to be accomplished.
“Nothing can stop me,” he said.
Jesus calls Herod a fox.
Let me tell you that historically they were different Herods.
This Herod, who is called Herod Antipas, is the son of the Great Herod (70 BC-
4BC). The great Herod had many sons. This is the one who ordered the execution
of John the Baptist. This is the one who would “sell” his kingdom to a young
woman who would dance to entertain him. Jesus calls Herod “a fox,” because he
is deceitful and cunning. He deceived his brother and married his wife. He did
not have any moral standards. Unfortunately, that reminds me of some of our
political leaders. Herod wanted people to call him a LION. Jesus implied
that Herod was not a lion. On the contrary, he pointed out that Herod was the opposite
of a lion. Another meaning for fox in Hebrew is a pompous pretender.
In this Lent season, let us
ask ourselves, “How long can one pretend to be someone else?” I ask you to
examine yourselves. How long can we manipulate God? Last Sunday I challenged you to be
yourself as you approach to God in prayer. Sincere prayer is what God wants to
listen to.
If Jesus talked about you,
would he call you a fox?
When Jesus was on death trial,
the same Herod changed his mind and sent him to Pilate. He obviously had a difficulty
in deciding his positions, his desires and ambitions. He did not know how to
handle power.
When I look at the people who
are running for presidential elections, I am concerned. Billions of dollars are
going to be spent to convince us about the right leadership. I wonder how we
choose a leader.
How about
us in our homes and businesses.
What kind of leaders are we?
Now listen to what Jesus is
saying for that day’s AUTHORITY:
“'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
“The mission is going on. I
will die and will be resurrected. Nothing can stop me.”
Let us continue in English.