Lent 2, Year C , March 16, 2025
Luke 13; 31-35
Julian Whittney
Jesus made the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem many times, travelling on foot and passing through towns and villages. Healing the sick, teaching those who would listen he infuriated the Pharisees. He disregarded their rules and threatened their authority. Yet on this occasion they warned him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” This time it was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great who had tried to have the baby Jesus killed. Unperturbed, Jesus is busy today, tomorrow and the next, the third day, casting out demons and performing cures. The Hen’s mortal enemy the Fox sends threats from a place where prophets are stoned and killed. Like a mother hen, Jesus has often desired to gather (your) children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and whilst he’s at it to teach and heal them😀
The image of a mother hen protecting her vulnerable young, brooding over her eggs and then feeding her chiclets once hatched in the safety of their nest is a popular image across cultures. Some years ago I worked with a Bulgarian artist on adapting a traditional local folktale into simple English for teaching young learners. I later presented the book at an expo in Osaka where an Indian teacher said she knew the story from her childhood in the Punjab. One of the great joys of the Storytelling Project was finding communality of metaphors across languages and cultures. Drawing on the nomadic nature of the twelve tribe of Israel, the Bible is particularly fond of the wolf-sheep dichotomy.
The fox-hen image of today’s Gospel is perhaps more maternal and domestic but has an interesting twist. The Son of Man is nurturing and caring for God’s Children today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Once they are safe and provided for, he will bravely, yet humbly march forth into the lion’s den on a donkey, forgive the mixed metaphors😉
Every Lent we wonder at Christ’s serenity over the days leading up to His greatest sacrifice – the gift of His life for our salvation. Even His enemies are warning Him to flee, to run away. But, like upon the cross, His arms are flung wide open, his wings are ready to fly. Baring His heart to swords and arrows, He offers to embrace us in God’s warmth and safety. In His vulnerability He gives us shelter so that we may grow in strength and in conviction. In resolve and in the gentle peace of Christ that passes all understanding we too can journey through dark valleys amidst the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, perhaps because, not in spite, of them.
We are indeed vulnerable as Christ made himself vulnerable. By learning to sacrifice and care for others as he does for us we can draw on his strength and share it amongst our sisters and brothers. Hand-in-hand, claw-in-claw, paw-in-paw, metaphor and more, let us join together for this journey together with our Lord. We know where we’re going and we’re going to enjoy getting there.
