Shelter of God’s Wings

 Psalm 27 CEB, Luke 13:31-35

We have the theme of God’s protection in both of these passages. The difference? The psalmist is seeking the Lord and God’s ways while Herod and the Pharisees are rejecting Christ. Due to this Jesus laments at how he longed to protect them like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings for protection. Yet they reject him – they are not willing. So, the love and protection he would bring them are not theirs.

One interesting concept dealt with is fear. The psalmist asks who shall I fear knowing God will shelter him in troubling times. God will hide him and set him up safe on a rock away from his enemies. even in troubled times the psalmist has faith that God will deliver. He says that he has sure faith that he will experience God’s goodness. He has hope in the Lord. Other translations say wait for the Lord. He will again like Jesus wanted to do to the Jerusalemites protect him under his wings like a hen. Herod in contrast fears Christ. He wants to kill him for fear of him taking over.

I’m surprised in this Luke passage that it is some Pharisees who warn him to go away since Herod wants to kill him. Were there some Pharisees who had faith in him? It’s interesting that they want to protect him – telling him to run for his life while in contrast Jesus wants to protect them. Going along with Christ’s simile of them being like chicks to protect from the fox – the fox being Herod.

Now Christ probably knew this Psalm yet he couldn’t claim it for his own protection since he knew he had a purpose to go through the agony of the cross to be raised again. So, he refuses the option of running away. He is on a timeline and part of the plan is to run toward it – run to Jerusalem where he will be killed like the prophets of the past have, yet he will be resurrected to new life giving us who believe in him protection in our troubles -shelter under his wings. Amen.

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