Foxes and chickens

Introduction

This is one of those passages that manages to pack so much detail and raises so many questions in five short verses that it’s difficult to know where to begin, and where to focus my thoughts. It’s tempting to speak about the Pharisees, and why it was they warned Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him - it’s unusual to see the Pharisees trying to help Jesus! Or I could talk about the symbolism of the three days, and how it appears often in Luke’s gospel. Or I could look at Herod and why Jesus seems so unfazed by him. Or I could dig in to Jesus’ relationship with Jerusalem - a city that, according to the Synoptic gospels at least, he hasn’t visited yet, but the way he speaks certainly suggests he has.

Instead, because I’m more than a little obsessed with my chickens, today I’m going to look at the beautiful image Jesus offers of wanting to gather the people of Jerusalem ‘as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.’

Eagle vs Chicken

A number of scholars have drawn links between this simile with those for other birds in the Old Testament. The most common of these is the eagle - in Deuteronomy 32:11 for example God is compared to an eagle that hovers over its young, spreading its wings over them. This begs the question though - if this is the image Jesus is referring to, why did he use the example of a mother hen?

The eagle was a symbol of power, and was used to represent the Roman empire - the chicken not so much. Here we have, much like Jesus riding a donkey instead of a horse into Jerusalem, a subversion of our ideas of power - yet another glimpse into the advent of God’s upside-down kingdom.

Misconceptions

As I was writing this sermon there were children playing at the primary school next door, and I heard child accuse one of their school mates of ‘being a chicken’. This is such a common little insult, implying that the person is weak and cowardly. It’s an insult used by people who obviously have never had an encounter with a chicken before! Chickens are fierce, intelligent, and brave! They’re also dominated by their hormones and natural instincts - regularly one or more of our chooks will decide that they’re going to be mums, and stay in their laying boxes to desperately keep their eggs warm, even though there is no rooster in sight! When they’re in this state they become fiercely protective of their space - here’s a video I took earlier in the week of me trying to remove one of our broody chooks from the box.

++KURT VIDEO++

We even had a chicken once that used to physically attack us if we came near!

They do this because they are desperate to protect their young at any cost to themselves. To anthropomorphise them, they have a fierce love for their children, providing for their most basic needs - food, warmth, and security.

++JUSTIN, KURT, LUNA PHOTO++

Here’s a gorgeous photo of three of our hens - Justin is the mother (yes, named after Bishop Justin) keeping her two chicks Luna and Kurt warm.

In fierce storms mother hens will often spread their wings out like umbrellas, while her chicks shelter underneath, safe and dry. She sacrifices her comfort for the comfort of her young.

There are even horrifying stories of when there have been fires, and a mother chicken has been found dead and burned, while her chicks are safe and alive underneath her body. Such is her love that she will sacrifice herself for her chicks.

What Jesus is speaking of here is more than just a Hallmark card moment - he’s yearning to gather his people together under himself, willing to sacrifice himself so that we may live.

This picture of the hen and the chickens is by far the strongest image so far in Luke of how Jesus portrays what his death would be all about. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus describes Herod as a fox - foxes are beautiful, but they are sly, clever, and destructive - and a major predator for chickens.

God brooding over the water

In Genesis we read that

King James Version Chapter 1

the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

I learned this week that the Hebrew word translated here as “moved” is actually better translated as brooded. The image of waters of course, is so often used throughout the bible to represent danger or strife.

Jesus, who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things were made (John 1:2-3) would have known first hand the way that the Spirit of God brooded over the face of the deep on the first day of creation.

So here, in Luke’s gospel, we have Jesus brooding over the people of Jerusalem, longing for them to shelter under his wings. He’s lamenting the sin and destruction that takes place in Jerusalem - looking at the powerful people of Jerusalem knowing that the first will be last, and sees them for who they are - temporarily powerful and dangerous yet too afraid and stubborn to find shelter with him. Despite them plotting to kill him, he still loved them desperately. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

Whether we feel we deserve it, whether we welcome it, or whether we’re even aware of it - Jesus still broods over us.

Ordination as deacon

The day before I was ordained as a deacon, on the final day of our retreat at Ngatiawa, was one of the darkest days of my life. There was no logical explanation for it - I was surrounded by a deep darkness. We were meant to be reflecting on our call to ordination, then praying with a number of priests who had come to be with us. Instead I was filled with doubt, with my internal voice picking away at all of my weak spots. I ended up sitting down by the river sobbing, hoping someone would find me. No one did. I couldn’t physically get myself up to pray with anyone. It was classic spiritual attack. The next morning I still wasn’t in a great space, but put on my clerical shirt and collar feeling like a complete fraud, and made my way to the Cathedral, trying to remind myself of the clarity of God’s call. During the ordination service there is a space where the ordinands are invited to kneel or prostrate themselves, as the Spirit is called on to dwell within us. At that moment I had the most beautiful experience - I felt enveloped by God’s wings. It was more than just a picture - I could feel God’s warmth. And as I lay there, crying Spirit tears, God spoke to me - I love you, you are worthy, I called you. Now when I face difficult times I can draw back to that space, crawling back under God’s wings.

Just as the Spirit brooded over the dark waters at creation, and as Jesus brooded over Jerusalem, God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) continues to brood over us and our broken world.

Breakout rooms

We are going to head into breakout rooms now, and I have some questions for you to discuss. If you’re not used to breakout rooms it can feel like an odd space - but please, be brave and talk with each other! We’ll try and be clever, and if you are joining us with other people we’ll leave you by yourselves.

I have two questions for you - you can either choose one, or try to cover both:

Have you experienced a time when God has brooded over you, or someone you know?

Are there people, places, or situations that you want to pray for God’s protection for, that need God to brood over?

Close in prayer

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