Jesus, it seems, doesn’t mince words. When he is
warned by the Pharisees that Herod wants to kill him and
encouraged to flee, he promptly responds, “You tell that fox
what I am doing”. In some ways, his response is humorous. In
other ways, it seems to be a sarcastic dig at Herod. As a
ruler, most people would think of Herod as a great animal,
perhaps a lion. Instead, Jesus calls him a fox, comparing
him to a sly, conniving animal that is not associated with
power or strength.
Jesus’ response also indicates that he will not flee.
He will continue the work he has been doing. Herod will not
stop him. Demons will not hold him back. Illness will not be
a barrier. Instead, he will keep doing the work of curing,
restoring, and bringing people back to community. Then he
alludes to his death in Jerusalem and his resurrection,
which will complete his work and be his great saving act.
Through this, he will free, once and for all, people from
bondage to sin and death and restore creation to a right
relationship with God.
What is fascinating is the way Jesus builds on animal
imagery. After speaking of his death and lamenting
Jerusalem’s history of killing or stoning prophets, he
paints a picture of a mother hen gathering her brood under
her wings. He speaks as well of his desire to do so. Foxes
are often the animals known to sneak onto farms and steal
away the helpless, small chicks. Yet, the mother hen is the
one who protects and shelters them.
Because I don’t know much about chickens, except that
they are pretty tasty fried, baked, grilled, or barbecued; I
looked for some information on hens. According the United
Poultry Concern website, a mother hen will “tenderly and
ever fiercely protect her young, driving off predators and
sheltering chicks beneath her wings”. Not only that, but
hens also gather their young to teach them how to live in
world. I even found stories about hens sacrificing
themselves so the brood will survive.
How very much Jesus does the same! He teaches us,
through word and deed, how to live as God’s children in the
world. He tenderly embraces the outcast, the broken, the
despised, and the needy. He goes to the cross, experiencing
a fierce death, driving off, once and for all, the predators
of sin and death from you and me. It is on the cross that he
also finally gathers Jerusalem, indeed all of creation. He
stretches out his arms, showing great love. It is these arms
that enfold us in the wings of God’s grace, mercy, and
forgiveness.
However, the enfolding does not stop there. God
continues to wrap his wings around us and gather us in our
daily lives. In baptism, God gathers us as God’s precious
children. In communion, God gathers us at the table,
feeding, nourishing, and forgiving us. On Sunday, God
gathers us to hear the word of forgiveness and the Holy
Words of scripture. God constantly gathers us in, with
tender affection, even when we fall short.
As those God gathers, what then is our response? It
seems to me that we go about the work our great mother hen,
Jesus Christ, calls us to do. We go into world, taught, fed
and nourished by God, to teach about and point to God’s
love. We enfold the outcast, despised, broken and needy with
kindness, prayers, and welcome. It might mean reaching out
to that classmate that everyone makes fun of, or standing up
for the rights of others instead of looking out for just
ourselves.
Indeed, we respond to the things God does for us by
welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, and searching
for ways to restore community. We can do so through
supporting the ministries of Trinity and through making time
in our daily lives for love and service to God and neighbor.
We can respond by teaching others about God and using images
people can understand and relate to; images that comfort,
not threaten. We can respond by repeatedly telling the good
news of a God who goes to great lengths to gather us in,
instead of making a list of those we think God should cast
out
It is amazing, really. God gathers us in, teaches us,
feeds us and empowers us. Then God sends us out to work in
the world. It is the pattern we see unfold every Sunday. We
are gathered. We are nourished from hearing the word and
being fed at table. We are sent out. It is a constant back
and forth. God brings us in, gives us what we need and sends
us out
Certainly, there will be challenges along the way.
Others will tell us to stop what we are doing and leave the
area, as the Pharisees did. We might event upset those in
authority as we take our stand with the least among us.
There will be times we are tempted to leave the loving wings
of God and make a go of it on our own. Yet, God gives us
strength and courage in the communion meal. God gives us
community who stands with us. God never stops the process of
gathering us, God’s brood, when we start to wander away.
The joy of Lent is it reminds us that God repeatedly
calls and gathers us, turning us from our sin to live as
children of God; and that Christ, in tender love, went to
the cross so that we might trust that those things that hurt
and distract us now, like the predators of sin, death, and
the power of the devil do not hold the final power. Rather,
through Christ’s death and resurrection, they are defeated.
Knowing this, we go. We go to spread the good news of a God
who gathers us tenderly; who teaches us; who fiercely
protects us; and who will not be swayed from the work of
redeeming you, me, and all of creation. For that, we most
certainly say, “Thanks be to God”.
©
2010 Rev. Todd A. Cutter. Please do not reproduce or
distribute without permission.
