Sunday 24 February 2013

Background

Leading up to this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has beenteaching in many places and talking about the kingdom of God, andof things that are to come. From this passage we see that he has aclear sense of his own work and where it will inevitably lead him.However, he is not the only one who can see where things areheading - the Pharisees (a movement of Jewish scholars advocating astrict adherence to Moses' Law) too can see what may happen andappear to be warning Jesus of a threat from Herod, the son of thefamous Herod the Great from the birth stories of Jesus.

What is unclear is whether this is out of genuine concern for hiswellbeing, or whether they are trying to frighten him into leavingthe area. Jesus, however, is convinced that his work must becarried out in a specific way, and neither the Pharisees nor Herodhimself will be able to hinder that.

Jesus' reference to the "third day" both echoes the time when as aboy he was found in the Temple after three days of franticsearching (Luke 2:41-51), and points forwards to hisresurrection on the third day (Luke24:7). In both cases Jerusalem is key, and Jesus looks to thatcity as his final destination as it was for many prophets beforehim. However he looks to it not with fear, but with deep concernfor the city and its inhabitants, the centre of the Jewishfaith.

When a mother hen is threatened, she will defend her children bygathering them underneath her wings for protection. There arestories of farmyards destroyed by fire in which live chicks havebeen found under the charred body of their mother, her sacrificegiving them life. As Jesus wants to gather Jerusalem to himself, hewill go on to that city where he will sacrifice his life for allwho live in it, and indeed all people everywhere.

To Ponder

• Who might Jesus want to gather under his wings today?

• Jesus is prepared to sacrifice everything for others. What areyou prepared to give for others' benefit?

• Jesus had a clear sense of God's plan for his life and how itwould play out. What sense do you have of God's plan for yourlife?