The Fox and the Hen
Pastor Jeremy Schultz
February 28, 2010
I understand that there is a small chapel on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem, called "Dominus Flevit," which means, "Jesus wept." The name comes from Luke's Gospel, which contains not one but two accounts of Jesus' grief over the loss of Jerusalem. According to tradition, it was here that Jesus wept over the city that had so often refused Him.
Inside the chapel, the altar is centered before a high arched window that looks out over the city. Down below, on the front of the altar, is a picture of what never happened in that city. It is a mosaic medallion of a white hen with a golden halo around her head. Her red comb resembles a crown, and her wings are spread wide to shelter the pale yellow chicks that crowd around her feet. The chicks look happy to be there. The hen looks ready to spit fire if anyone comes near her babies. (Barbara Brown Taylor, Christian Century Magazine)
But like I said, this never happened, and the picture does not pretend that it did. The medallion is rimmed with red words in Latin. Translated into English they read, 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!'
Now it may surprise you to find Jesus comparing Himself to a mother hen in today's Gospel, but what should have you far more concerned is the fact that there's at least one fox also inside the chicken coop.
Jesus calls Herod a fox, and so he is. This Herod is named Antipas and he is the son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas is the one famous for putting John the Baptist to death. But before this, Herod divorced his first wife and stole his brother's wife instead. Next, he went to war with the father his legal bride – the one that he shamed. He lost the battle and came home in disgrace. Next, he lusted after his step-daughter, Salome, and made her a very foolish oath, which resulted in the beheading of John. Later on, Herod Antipas would fall into disfavor with Rome and along with his new wife be exiled for the remainder of his life. Yikes! You say! What a guy! You know, Jesus could have called Herod pretty much any number of things and he'd have been right! But Jesus calls him a fox. Not a lion – not a king, but a crafty, cowardly pretender. A fox!
Herod is a fox, who, despite his threats, poses no immediate danger for Jesus. Even though Jesus is moving about in Herod's territory, Jerusalem is where Jesus knows He will die. Jerusalem, Jerusalem...famous for stoning and killing the prophets...Jerusalem is where our Lord's date with destiny lies! No matter what the fox says, he can't ruffle the feathers of Jesus. No matter what he threatens to do, Jesus knows that He is completely safe. The question is – are we? Are we, His little chicks, completely safe from the fox? For the answer to the question...we need to push this metaphor a little farther.
For if the chicks are to be and remain safe, then they must come under and remain under the protection of their Mother Hen. But sometimes chicks go out into coop all by themselves. Heads down, pecking at grain, they mindlessly go about their business. And sometimes, chicks wander under the rotten boards, through the wire fencing, and chase butterflies out near the lair of the fox. The mother hen sees this and starts clucking wildly and flapping furiously and if the chicks listen to Mamma, they run back to safety. But what if the chicks don't listen to Mamma anymore? What if the chicks are so far gone, that they can't even hear Mamma's clucking? That's what makes Jesus weep. That's what makes Jesus cry out, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I have longed to gather you together as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing."
It is Jesus' will that all people be saved. So Jesus stands straight up, with hands and arms outstretched and calling for everyone to come to His side. And if you have ever longed to protect someone and you were unable, you know the depth of His lament. And you also know that sometimes, striking that pose and desperately calling out is all you can do. The voice of Jesus calls out to you and to all people. He longs for us to come under His protection. But the sad fact is that sometimes we wander off under the rotten boards and slip through the wire fence. Sometimes we are very slow to listen or we've gone so far we can hardly hear. Sometimes, even Christians will forget or ignore the sound of Jesus' voice calling them to repentance, calling them to the safety of His side. Sometimes, even Christians will not be willing. And that leaves us, as chicks, completely vulnerable to the fox.
But the hen, while it may not have the majestic mane of the lion or the wily ways of the fox, cares for her flock. And unlike the cowardly fox will go to great lengths to protect her flock. Farmers have watched hens go into action when a fox approaches. With a furious fuss the mother hen squawks till her brood is safe by her side, then fluffs out her wings and holds them over the chicks as the fox comes in. Cocking a wary eye at the fox, the hen will not move from her children. If the predator comes in for the kill, the mother will simply cover her chicks and hold them. If the fox wants the chicks, he’ll have to go through the mother to get them.
Similar to this, many versions of the story are told of a hen house which burned to the ground, and when the owner sorted through the smoldering remains he came upon one hen lying near what had been the door of the hen house. Her top feathers were singed brown by the fire's heat, her neck limp, but as he bent down to pick up the dead hen, four chicks came scurrying out from beneath her burnt body. The chicks survived because they were insulated by the shelter and protection of their mother’s wings. The fact is that Jesus will give His life for your protection.
Jesus stands up to the fox. And I don't mean Herod now, I mean Satan. When that fox comes close, Jesus stands up and calls furiously for His children. With arms outstretched and His breast exposed, He stands there calling out for you. And when the fox comes close, He stretches out His arms even more. Oh, how He longs to protect you! It's clear that if the fox wants the chicks, he'll have to go through the hen first, which of course is just what happened.
Jesus was approached on a night when all His disciples were sleeping. Very quickly, he was surrounded as though by a whole pack. It got pretty crazy, pretty quick. There were burning torches and people holding clubs and at least one sword was drawn. The disciples were now huddled in close, but quickly they all ran away with fear. The next day, there stood Jesus all alone with His arms outstretched and breast exposed. He was calling out to His children even there. All sorts of foxes and chicks were watching from a safe distance. And this is how Jesus died. Jesus died in order to protect you, in order to save you from Satan and all your sins. It's quite a posture that He struck that day! But if that fox was going to get you, he was going to have to go through Jesus. For Jesus died on the cross that you might be set free! He died so that you might not perish. And He came back to life so that you might live through Him.
You see, Jesus has now gathered us into His family through Holy Baptism. And He promises, "I am with you always – even to the very end of the age." And in this family, we are kept safe from the devil, who would love nothing more than to have us for lunch. But in here – we are protected. We are kept safe. In this family, our sins are forgiven so they cannot hurt us anymore. In this family we receive the Lord's Supper which strengthens us in our faith to Life everlasting. In this family we learn to listen to His voice so that we don't wander off. And in this family, we become like Him in wanting others to come under His safety and protection.
Yes, we strike a pose, similar to our Savior's. Standing up straight, with chest exposed and arms held out, we call out to others that they too might come into His protection. Beginning with our immediate families and working outward, we call them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're thinking to yourself, "I can’t do that" or you're wondering where to start, you may use those cards in the bulletin today. Or you can just tell them this – the story of the fox and the hen. Amen.
Pastor Jeremy Schultz
February 28, 2010
I understand that there is a small chapel on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem, called "Dominus Flevit," which means, "Jesus wept." The name comes from Luke's Gospel, which contains not one but two accounts of Jesus' grief over the loss of Jerusalem. According to tradition, it was here that Jesus wept over the city that had so often refused Him.
Inside the chapel, the altar is centered before a high arched window that looks out over the city. Down below, on the front of the altar, is a picture of what never happened in that city. It is a mosaic medallion of a white hen with a golden halo around her head. Her red comb resembles a crown, and her wings are spread wide to shelter the pale yellow chicks that crowd around her feet. The chicks look happy to be there. The hen looks ready to spit fire if anyone comes near her babies. (Barbara Brown Taylor, Christian Century Magazine)
But like I said, this never happened, and the picture does not pretend that it did. The medallion is rimmed with red words in Latin. Translated into English they read, 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!'
Now it may surprise you to find Jesus comparing Himself to a mother hen in today's Gospel, but what should have you far more concerned is the fact that there's at least one fox also inside the chicken coop.
Jesus calls Herod a fox, and so he is. This Herod is named Antipas and he is the son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas is the one famous for putting John the Baptist to death. But before this, Herod divorced his first wife and stole his brother's wife instead. Next, he went to war with the father his legal bride – the one that he shamed. He lost the battle and came home in disgrace. Next, he lusted after his step-daughter, Salome, and made her a very foolish oath, which resulted in the beheading of John. Later on, Herod Antipas would fall into disfavor with Rome and along with his new wife be exiled for the remainder of his life. Yikes! You say! What a guy! You know, Jesus could have called Herod pretty much any number of things and he'd have been right! But Jesus calls him a fox. Not a lion – not a king, but a crafty, cowardly pretender. A fox!
Herod is a fox, who, despite his threats, poses no immediate danger for Jesus. Even though Jesus is moving about in Herod's territory, Jerusalem is where Jesus knows He will die. Jerusalem, Jerusalem...famous for stoning and killing the prophets...Jerusalem is where our Lord's date with destiny lies! No matter what the fox says, he can't ruffle the feathers of Jesus. No matter what he threatens to do, Jesus knows that He is completely safe. The question is – are we? Are we, His little chicks, completely safe from the fox? For the answer to the question...we need to push this metaphor a little farther.
For if the chicks are to be and remain safe, then they must come under and remain under the protection of their Mother Hen. But sometimes chicks go out into coop all by themselves. Heads down, pecking at grain, they mindlessly go about their business. And sometimes, chicks wander under the rotten boards, through the wire fencing, and chase butterflies out near the lair of the fox. The mother hen sees this and starts clucking wildly and flapping furiously and if the chicks listen to Mamma, they run back to safety. But what if the chicks don't listen to Mamma anymore? What if the chicks are so far gone, that they can't even hear Mamma's clucking? That's what makes Jesus weep. That's what makes Jesus cry out, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I have longed to gather you together as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing."
It is Jesus' will that all people be saved. So Jesus stands straight up, with hands and arms outstretched and calling for everyone to come to His side. And if you have ever longed to protect someone and you were unable, you know the depth of His lament. And you also know that sometimes, striking that pose and desperately calling out is all you can do. The voice of Jesus calls out to you and to all people. He longs for us to come under His protection. But the sad fact is that sometimes we wander off under the rotten boards and slip through the wire fence. Sometimes we are very slow to listen or we've gone so far we can hardly hear. Sometimes, even Christians will forget or ignore the sound of Jesus' voice calling them to repentance, calling them to the safety of His side. Sometimes, even Christians will not be willing. And that leaves us, as chicks, completely vulnerable to the fox.
But the hen, while it may not have the majestic mane of the lion or the wily ways of the fox, cares for her flock. And unlike the cowardly fox will go to great lengths to protect her flock. Farmers have watched hens go into action when a fox approaches. With a furious fuss the mother hen squawks till her brood is safe by her side, then fluffs out her wings and holds them over the chicks as the fox comes in. Cocking a wary eye at the fox, the hen will not move from her children. If the predator comes in for the kill, the mother will simply cover her chicks and hold them. If the fox wants the chicks, he’ll have to go through the mother to get them.
Similar to this, many versions of the story are told of a hen house which burned to the ground, and when the owner sorted through the smoldering remains he came upon one hen lying near what had been the door of the hen house. Her top feathers were singed brown by the fire's heat, her neck limp, but as he bent down to pick up the dead hen, four chicks came scurrying out from beneath her burnt body. The chicks survived because they were insulated by the shelter and protection of their mother’s wings. The fact is that Jesus will give His life for your protection.
Jesus stands up to the fox. And I don't mean Herod now, I mean Satan. When that fox comes close, Jesus stands up and calls furiously for His children. With arms outstretched and His breast exposed, He stands there calling out for you. And when the fox comes close, He stretches out His arms even more. Oh, how He longs to protect you! It's clear that if the fox wants the chicks, he'll have to go through the hen first, which of course is just what happened.
Jesus was approached on a night when all His disciples were sleeping. Very quickly, he was surrounded as though by a whole pack. It got pretty crazy, pretty quick. There were burning torches and people holding clubs and at least one sword was drawn. The disciples were now huddled in close, but quickly they all ran away with fear. The next day, there stood Jesus all alone with His arms outstretched and breast exposed. He was calling out to His children even there. All sorts of foxes and chicks were watching from a safe distance. And this is how Jesus died. Jesus died in order to protect you, in order to save you from Satan and all your sins. It's quite a posture that He struck that day! But if that fox was going to get you, he was going to have to go through Jesus. For Jesus died on the cross that you might be set free! He died so that you might not perish. And He came back to life so that you might live through Him.
You see, Jesus has now gathered us into His family through Holy Baptism. And He promises, "I am with you always – even to the very end of the age." And in this family, we are kept safe from the devil, who would love nothing more than to have us for lunch. But in here – we are protected. We are kept safe. In this family, our sins are forgiven so they cannot hurt us anymore. In this family we receive the Lord's Supper which strengthens us in our faith to Life everlasting. In this family we learn to listen to His voice so that we don't wander off. And in this family, we become like Him in wanting others to come under His safety and protection.
Yes, we strike a pose, similar to our Savior's. Standing up straight, with chest exposed and arms held out, we call out to others that they too might come into His protection. Beginning with our immediate families and working outward, we call them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're thinking to yourself, "I can’t do that" or you're wondering where to start, you may use those cards in the bulletin today. Or you can just tell them this – the story of the fox and the hen. Amen.
