Lent Reading: Week 2, Day 5 (March 22)
Reading: Luke 13:31-35
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Reflection
We continue reading our way through portions of the Gospel of Luke as we follow Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem. Jesus hears about Herod who wants to kill him (verse 31). He is also resolutely walking toward the city that kills the prophets (verses 33-34)
And although he is facing death threats and a city's history of murder Jesus is not angry, vengeful, resentful but rather full of compassion. He is full of compassion for the city that will kill him. Amazing!
The image of the hen gathering her chicks is so poingnant. As one commentator states it:
"In this image, Jesus reveals God’s heart. God’s constant desire is to intimately care for, nurture, and protect his people. The allusion to repeated attempts to gather the nation may allude to the prophets’ work in the past, as well as to the work of this messenger now...Only one thing stopped God from exercising such care: the people did not wish him to do so. As a result, the gathering, with its accompanying offer of protection, could not take place" (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1249))."
Even in the midst of the prospect of suffering and death Jesus reveal's the Father's heart for his people. As we will see through Jesus' suffering and death this is deep and rich love indeed.