Luke 13:31–35
Today’s Gospel presents Jesus as being in a familiar terrain – Jerusalem. Ordinarily, the sense of being in a familiar environment, among familiar people necessarily gives a sense of security and peace of mind. But here is Jesus being faced with rejection and a threat to His life. It sounds very paradoxical that those who came to warn Him about His unguaranteed safety were the Pharisees – the very same set of people who were professional fault-finders and antagonized every aspect of Jesus’ ministry: His teachings, His miracles, etc.
Against the backdrop of who they were – and the bluntness of their message as they made it known to Jesus that it was Herod who was after His life – Jesus was not deterred. He did not feel jittery or intimidated. Rather, He demonstrated great courage, as He would not let fear dictate His steps. Hence, He sent them back with a more damning reply, saying “Go tell that fox…” Imagine addressing a king as an animal with a loud voice so that many heard it.
Such courage was not borne out of pride or defiance, but of a quiet, unwavering determination to do God’s Will. So, when Jesus addressed Herod as “that fox,” He was exposing the cunning personality of Herod. By that, Jesus also implied that Herod was very insignificant in the fulfilment of God’s plan for His people.
However, sadly, God’s chosen people – the people of Israel, and Jerusalem in particular – did not recognize this. They did not cooperate with God’s plan. In fact, they worked against it, thwarting it by killing prophets after prophets sent to them. This was very heartbreaking for Jesus. That was why He lamented: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.”
Despite Jerusalem being an obstacle to God’s plan, Jesus still showed compassion. He did not respond with anger, but with sorrow and a desire to gather them “…as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” This heartbreak moved Jesus to present the tender, motherly image of God as a protective, caring and warm figure. Unfortunately, His listeners were unwilling to accept Him. Thus, Jesus declared: “Behold, your house will be abandoned.”
Dear friends, it often said: “You can lead a horse to the river, but you cannot force it to drink water.” Love cannot be forced on anyone. God respects our freedom, but unfortunately, we, like Jerusalem, very often turn down the invitation to be loved. We prefer independence over filial love, self-reliance over trust.
The experience of Jerusalem and its eventual fate can be ours when pride, indifference or fear prevents us from allowing Jesus to take charge of us and our lives. God’s mercy always leaves the door open. As we go about our business/activity today, may we, unlike Jerusalem, be open and properly disposed to enjoy God’s warm embrace.
May we, like Jesus, have the courage to remain firm in the face of threats, trials or discouragements. Jesus did not cease to heal and proclaim the Kingdom of God just because there was danger looming. Neither should we. Let us stay on the path of love and mercy, no matter what stands in our way. Such faith and courage are beautifully captured by Paul in the first reading: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35; 37-39.
Great message! Words to ponder, for sure. Thank you for sharing. God Bless you!
Love,
Dale