Throughout the Gospels, you cannot miss seeing that Jesus constantly faces leaders who feel threatened by his messages.
Paul described them as “enemies of the cross of Christ.” They focus on earthly things and pursue a hedonistic existence in this life. There is no scholarly consensus on who these enemies are, and Paul gives few hints about their identity or specific beliefs. Some biblical experts suggest they were Epicureans who followed an ethic of pleasure-seeking as the highest good. Other scholars suggest these enemies were cultic followers of the Roman emperor. Regardless, Paul has strong words for them, issuing the ominous warning, “Their end is destruction.”
Identifying enemies is one of the most difficult challenges in human life. As humans evolved, one of the skills that aided survival was recognizing potential threats and dangers – thus the saying, ‘keep your enemies close and your friends far.’ That evolutionary trait extended from individual self-preservation to community preservation. We read much of this in the Old Testament, where powerful and influential leaders considered prophets enemies. Why? Because God used prophets as his mouthpiece to bring retribution and judgment. The influential leaders detested these prophets. Any unfavorable message or prediction from a prophet spelled death. So, prophets didn't last. They were stoned or driven out of town. Jesus fell into the category of a prophet who warned the leaders of his time and the retribution God would bring them. And he knew he was a target in the hands of those who hated his boldness to reveal their hypocrisy.
Luke tells us that the Pharisees went to Jesus to warn him about Herod. Jesus didn't hesitate to tell them how conniving they were. His criticism of the Pharisees extends to the corrupt Roman government who made the lives of the poor and the marginalize his times unbearable. But there's enough reason to believe that he earned the respect of some of these Pharisees. Some of them listened to his teaching, and they occasionally dined with him.
Jesus turned this warning around and commissioned these religious leaders to go back to Herod. "Go and tell that fox,” Jesus said, "that I [Jesus] am busy being religious—taking care of the marginalized, casting out demons, curing diseases, and comforting those on the edge of society."
Jesus likely felt a combination of courage, determination, and perhaps righteous indignation. He was resolute in his mission and was not swayed by threats or warnings, even from a ruler like Herod. His response shows no fear, but instead a deep confidence in God's plan for him and his unwavering commitment to fulfill his purpose.
You could feel Jesus's holy anger and the feeling of vanity, mixed with pity for the people. Jesus could see God's role as that of 'mother hen,' gathering her brood under her protective wings, safe from the ravages of the foxes of life, and with a heavy heart, he lamented on the futility of God’s prophets sent before him to win God's people. "Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!" Jerusalem, being prominently portrayed in this passage and the larger story, was part of the Roman province of Judea. However, Luke did not mean Jesus' lamentation for Jerusalem or Israel alone. It was for all of us who are at risk and vulnerable to the sly seductions of the foxes among us.
Jesus sadly lamented: "How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Lk 13: 34).
If you are familiar with what happens when a fox gets into a hen house, you know that most of the time, the mother hen herds her chicks under her wings for protection. Shielding her chicks under her wings is the only defense she has. So that when a fox attacks, it must kill her first before it can get to her chicks. When it's all over and the fox is gone, a flutter of feathers will be left. The motherless chicks will be running helter-skelter without knowing what the mother had just done for them. At least they have another chance to live, though their mother may be dead. This lamentation is the image that Jesus chose to reveal to us about what the covenant of self-sacrificing means. It is a representation of humanity’s relationship with God, and this makes his lament deeply personal and universally significant.
We confess that we believe in Jesus, but we find it hard to see progress toward the victory that Christ won. And our victory is won when we place the love of God and justice for all people before anything else. However, our natural response to worldly opposition is to close our eyes or to wring our hands in despair. We are weak and lack faith when the enemy shows up.
The power of faith and obedience appears in Luke’s reading. Jesus's faith precluded any fear of threats from the world that would frustrate his purpose. He knew he was doing God's will, and he knew that in God's perfect time, he would indeed die. Paying attention to Herod means he would avoid death. Avoiding death means he would avoid doing God's will. It takes steadfast faith to put fears aside and obey what God has set before us. Our salvation is in vain if we are afraid to walk the road of obedience.
Throughout this Lent, I urge you to pray for continued faith; that God's divine grace grants us the will to be steadfast in our walk with him without fear. Let’s pray that we also extend love to others so they too may hold fast the unchangeable truth of God's love and sacrifice of his only Son for us. AMEN!