Lent II: Being A Mother Hen

Luke 13:31-35

After being warned of Herod's desire to kill him by the Pharisees for questionable reasons (Are they really concerned? Some Pharisees did follow Jesus, other represented the same religious authorities who wanted him gone.), Jesus laments over Jerusalem and uses the imagery of a mother hen gathering her chicks to describe his desire to engage the people who have rejected him and his message. Some commentators suggest he is speaking to and of the religious authorities who feel threatened by his popularity and populous message. I guess some things never change. The church (religious authorities) today can be an enormous stumbling block for those intrigued by the message of Jesus.

Undeterred by these warnings, Jesus relates his intention to continue his journey (both physically and metaphorically) to Jerusalem "...the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it." (Luke 13:34a) Doing what he did and saying what he said, surely Jesus knew the danger he faced (even encouraged?).

A story in the "National Geographic" gives an example of what verse 34a might mean. " After a forest fire in Yellowstone Park, rangers found an ashy, ossified bird at the foot of a tree. Sickened, they gently prodded with a stick and three little chicks scrambled from under the mother bird's wings. They hypothesized that the mother had carried her offspring to the base of the tree, gathering them under her wings, instinctively aware that toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown away, but would not abandon her chicks for safety. Even as she burned, she protected them, unwaveringly. She was willing to die, so that the chicks under the cover of her wings would live."

The writer of Luke's Gospel had the advantage of hindsight in presenting today's story. The literary devise employed begins to build the tension which will culminate in the events of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. I confess I find the image of Jesus as "Mother Hen" helpful in advancing my Lenten journey. Perhaps a good goal for the week ahead is to try to be a bit more like a Mother Hen. Have no doubt, you'll encounter many chicks needing the protection of your wings.