Being God's Chicks

 

The Pharisees are shown as villains throughout the gospels since they have Christ arrested and crucified. In Luke 13, however, we have them warning Christ to get out of Jerusalem since Herod wants to kill him. Is this good will on the Pharisees’ part or do they just want to get him out of town or maybe they themselves want to kill Jesus – only God knows.

Herod is an enemy of the Jews and Jesus calls him a “fox.” This is interesting since he talks about wanting to be like a hen and gathering them up in safety from the “fox” Herod. Christ hasn’t been able to do so since the Jews of Jerusalem have killed the prophets and those sent to them and will do so to Christ. Jesus wants to protect them and give them new life through him, but they are not willing.

In Psalm 27 we see those who are willing – those who seek the Lord’s face. The Psalmist acknowledges that this is the God of my salvation – the one true God. Though Luke uses the image of a mother hen protecting her chicks, the Psalmist talks about being concealed under the cover of God’s tent. Even if forsaken by one’s earthly parents, God the eternal parent will take you up.

Jesus gives a motherly version of God as a hen gathering and protecting her chicks from their enemies – from the “Herods” of their lives. He bemoans that these “chicks” of Jerusalem have forsaken him – they do not seek his face. They are not willing to accept him as the Messiah.

Jesus didn’t have to worry about Herod. Like the Psalmist in our passage, “false witnesses will rise up against him” – the religious Pharisees – “and breathe violence” which they accomplish by having Christ crucified on the cross.

But we rejoice in what we celebrate at Easter –the resurrection of the Lord. When we recognize and accept the Lord as Savior – seek his face, we are gathered under his wings of love and protection. Knowing this and that we are concealed in his tent, we can live in trust even when the wait is long. We can be strong and wait for the Lord.

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