The Fox and the Hen (2)
Luke 13:31-35
“'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
Listen fellows, I have a short
time left, today and tomorrow and the next day. I have prophecy
to be fulfilled. “The prophet will not die outside
This is the sad yet tough
voice of Jesus. On the one hand, a voice with pain: “
I think a legitimate question
in this season of repentance is: am I being an obstacle in spreading the
Good News of Jesus Christ? Herod was going to be an obstacle stopping Jesus
from His mission. Ask yourself, am I helping to spread the Good News of the
gospel, or I am hindering the work of God?
If you are being an obstacle,
bring yourself to God; He will change you.
On the other side, ask yourself, “Is Jesus disappointed when he looks at my life. Is
he saying with a sad heart, ‘Nerses, Nerses, Nerses...?’”
Now I like to move to the
second imagery that Jesus used: the HEN. Jesus Christ, the Son of God wants to
be identified with a HEN!
We have biblical images of
God as a “bird” who gathers his children under his wings:
“Like
an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch
them
and carries them on its pinions.” (Deut
32:11)
“Like birds hovering overhead,
the LORD Almighty will shield
he will shield it and deliver it,
he will 'pass over' it and will rescue
it." (Isaiah 31:5)
Let me quote from the book of Psalms:
“Hide me in the shadow of your wings” 17:8
“I will take refuge in the shadow
of your wings until the disaster has passed.” 57:1
“I long to
dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” 61:4
“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of
your wings.” 63:7
“He will cover you with his
feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” 91:4
All these verses talk about
how God will protect us from evil. God is the shelter. All these verses
are from the Old Testament.
Now Jesus gives the image of the
Hen. He and his Father are one. He, Jesus is the one who is gathering us under
his wings.
Why did Jesus choose the
image of an animal that is weaker than the fox? In some other scriptural
references, God is represented as LION, EAGLE. Here is the irony of the imagery.
God, the almighty God can be like a lion. But he can be also like a HEN. God is
“painting” a different picture of Himself: tender, parental, loving, yet solid,
tough, and strong.
The question we ask now is, “What
chance does this hen Jesus have against Herod the fox?”
There is a story about power
of “mother” hen.
“Have you ever seen a chicken
hawk go after its prey?
The old mother hen is
often aware of the presence of the hawk in time to gather her chicks
under her wing. With a furious fuss, she squawks till her brood is safe
by her side. She fluffs out her wings and protects them with her own
body. The chicken hawk dives and the old hen turns
her body toward him and cocks a wary eye without moving from her children. The
predator comes in again for the kill and the mother spreads her wings even
wider. A third time he dives only to be thwarted by the determined
self-sacrifice of the mother hen. She is too big to be a target and the chicks
are too safe to be seized so he flies away.”1
It is a powerful image of God
sending His only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. He knows that the
enemy is roaring like a lion to take his prey. But Jesus is willing to be like a hen who
invites us to be gathered under his wings. The image is for protection and
gathering. If each small hen decides to go on its own, the chances of being
lost are much higher. The calling is to the church today. GATHER TOGETHER UNDER
GOD’S WINGS. Can we or we are too proud to be under His wings?
In the Armenian sermon, I
asked you to examine yourself if you are acting like a “fox” in your life.
Now I will ask you to identify
yourself with small chicks who can gather under
the wings of the mother hen and find refuge there.
I asked you before: Who will
win this game?
Look at the story, the fox is
gone but the hen and his children are all over the world spreading the Good News.
How does the hen continue
winning this struggle?
a- God did not and does
not give up from humanity. God has a
big heart. He did not lose his patience with humanity. We know that
Jesus was crucified, but he was resurrected and his resurrection is a victory for
all of us.
b- Jesus invites us to be under His wings. Today thousands
are gathered under his wings. Jesus never forces us to be under his wings. He invites
us to be under his wings. Jesus does not count on the world ever seeing or
understanding such love. And even as he hangs there with “wings” nailed to a
tree, he does not make us love him. “How often I have longed to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were
not willing.” (34) Jesus invites us.
Do you want to be under his
wings? Either you accept this invitation or you reject it. I wish that you do
not take this invitation lightly.
“Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings” (Ps.63:7).
I will sing his songs. I will
continue worshiping him. I will stay under his wings. I will learn to obey HIM.
I will learn and grow in faith everyday. I will confess my sins to him. I will
learn to stay with other little chicks in the same place. I will learn to be a
community of believers. I want to sing His song.
Amen
1 Brett Blair,
www.eSermons.com.