Luke 13:31-35 Commentary

There is an undercurrent throughout these lenten gospel texts. Flowing through most of the accounts is some emphasis or use of time or timing. For instance, last week, along with the length of Jesus’s time in the desert, there was the way Satan tried to tempt Jesus with early (false) glory. And next week, Jesus will tell us a story about a fig tree given a period of time to produce fruit. Plus, we keep hearing Luke say, “At that very hour…” and “there were some present at that time…” and the devil left “Jesus until an opportune time.”

In this week’s particular encounter with the Pharisees, timing appears to be everything. At the very hour that Jesus is speaking about the difficulty of following him, the Pharisees show up and prove his point. Coming to this story cold might tempt us to think that the Pharisees are trying to do Jesus a favour here, but the more likely scenario is that they are trying their own sly technique to deal with the problem of Jesus. They’re pretending to be the good guys by warning Jesus that Herod is none too pleased with him when, in reality, they want Jesus out of their hair probably even more than Herod.

So when Jesus tells them to go back to “that fox” on his behalf, you can’t help but wonder if he’s also sending them a message. Their slyness has been caught out and Jesus has his priorities in order. Jesus’s succinct description is one that also makes clear to his opponents first that he is powerful: “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures.” And second, that he is doing the Lord’s work and cannot be stopped by any human power: “and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.” (See the textual note below for some further notes.)

There is a time for Jesus’s death and it is coming. He is headed to Jerusalem even as he speaks with the Pharisees, but Jesus does not want them to think that his continuing on from the region is a sign that they intimidated or worried him. He communicates clearly that his movement is clearly tied to his compassionate mission and both will continue until it is time.

In strong juxtaposition to Herod and the Pharisee foxes, Jesus describes himself as a mother hen whose compassion is matched by her fierce protection of her chicks. Even though he knows (and already has been in so many ways) that he will be rejected, despised, betrayed, and ultimately die, Jesus only has the will to do the loving thing: to gather his beloveds under the protection of his wings.

Being unwilling and rejecting that compassionate protection proves disastrous. This is true in the present moment and in the long-run. “See, your house is left to you.” God does not coerce or force anyone to stay close under the shelter of his wings; God gives us freedom alongside compassion and providential protection. We are responsible for the proverbial house we design, build, live in, care for, and preserve for future generations—even if we do awful things with it. God will leave us to it so that we will know. God will leave us to it so that we will freely receive his love.

Because it is not too late—not even for Jerusalem who always “shoots the messenger.” Quoting from Psalm 118.26, Jesus gives an ominous sounding promise to the Pharisees: “And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” These are the very words that will be on the lips of the crowds on Palm Sunday as Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Jesus will bring his mother hen energy with him into Jerusalem. After the crowds praise him and he weeps yet again over his beloveds and their self-imposed suffering in chapter 19, Jesus’s first act of Holy Week is to cleanse the temple—to get his Father’s house in order. He makes the foxes flee the hen house even as they keep looking for ways to kill him; even as they keep refusing to be gathered under his wings.

Of course, even though we are “left to our houses” when we refuse to recognize our real home under Mother Hen Jesus’s wings, God’s response is to compassionately continue on with his purposes of healing and freedom and giving people their lives back.

As dumb as chickens are and as cool or more captivating a fox seems to us, when it comes to life with Christ it is much better to be a baby chick.

Textual Point

In verse 32, Jesus uses a passive verb when he says, “on the third day I finish my work.” It’s difficult to translate into English, akin to “on the third day I am accomplished” or “I am brought to my end” (as in a goal or aim). This passive form matches the use of the implied divine passive dei (“it is necessary”) translated in the very next verse as “I must be on my way…” Jesus’s timing is no fluke: it is the work of the Lord.

[Note: In addition to these weekly sermon commentaries on the CEP website, we also have a resource page for Lent and Easter with more preaching and worship ideas as well as sample sermons on the Year C Lectionary texts.]

Illustration Idea

I used this illustration idea last time through Year C, but it really is such a helpful one. Maybe you want to go a step further and find a video of a mother hen in action!

A quick google search will provide you a plethora of examples of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings in times of danger. The bravery, the resolve, and the sacrifice that the hen makes in order to keep the vulnerable chicks safe are all present in Jesus Christ as he tells the Pharisees that he isn’t going to stop doing what he is doing. Yes, he is headed to Jerusalem, but it is on God’s business and for God’s purposes. Yes, he will die, but it will be for the safety of his beloved.