
Beth Bathe ‘Mamma Hen’
16/3/25
Lent 2
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35
As it is Lent, I need to start with a confession. Sermon writing this week was a challenge! I have never preached on this short passage of Luke so it was daunting and refreshing to start with a blank page. There are threads from last week: God’s response to the vulnerability of Jesus and us and faithfulness to his promises which he fulfills.
The First Sunday of Lent always has the set Gospel of the temptation of Jesus. The first temptation was to turn a stone into bread. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and could have easily satisfied his own hunger. The cost of this temptation was denying his own humanity. When hungry we are too lean into God for our lasting fulfilment.
The second temptation was for Jesus to bow down to the devil and all the kingdoms of the earth would be His. This was to tempt the ego into believing that we can have all the power and be worshipped.
The third temptation to throw himself off the top of the temple speaks to vulnerability. To be vulnerable is to be easily physically or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked. This is the language used around safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. The suggestion of this temptation is that God’s beloved will be kept safe from every harm, frailty, disease and ultimately death.
In his temptations we see something of Jesus’ character; he will not take the easy choices and opportunities for glory nor will he test God for His own gain. Jesus chooses to believe that God will be faithful and is worthy of worship regardless of circumstances. Jesus is living within the boundaries of his humanity by showing his strength of knowledge and character. I like this vision of a strong Jesus.
This week’s Gospel reading has been more of a challenge. If you were to draw a picture of Jesus, what would you draw? A lion? A lamb? A door? Bread and a cup?
Would you draw a chicken? I know that a few of you have or have had chickens. Think of that noble bird for a moment; the beady eyes, easily flappable, not able to soar like the eagles, or run like the ostrich. Sure they have beaks that can be fierce but even those are a little pathetic. They are still pretty defenceless.
Yet it is the chicken that Jesus uses as a self-description. Can you picture Jesus as the mother hen? This is not the maternal metaphor I would have gone for. Luke invites us to consider Jesus as the mother hen whose chicks do not want her. To hold the definition of being vulnerable as to be easily physically or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked, chickens would come out as a safeguarding risk. Especially against a fox but hold that thought.
This Jesus-chicken has been rejected by their own children; her arms are open and empty. You do not need to be a parent to experience rejection. We have all likely experienced rejection in some form during our lifetimes. It is one of the worst feelings. Jesus understands rejection; he received it from his followers who turned away, the disciples who could not cope with the cross and even felt rejected by God on the cross.
In the first verses, a group of Pharisees warn Jesus to leave as Herod wants to kill him. When it came to Jesus, the Pharisees were looking for reasons to hand him over to the authorities, to Herod. This is the Herod who had John the Baptist killed, everyone knows that he is dangerous. In previous encounters, Jesus rebukes or challenges the Pharisees but not this time. He must have believed the sincerity of their warning.
Jesus tells the Pharisees to tell that fox Herod that he still has work to do. The chicken is not done yet! Referring to Herod as a fox almost raises some questions. Why a fox? We would think of them as cunning or prowling around, waiting for an opportunity to take out a chicken or other unsuspecting victim. Urban foxes are a problem in many cities, they kill pets and eat garbage.
Being an opportunist is not always a bad thing but can become negative when taking advantage of others.
There is no Old Testament evidence of foxes being symbols of willingness or cunning, strength. Apart from this passage, references to foxes imply weakness, feebleness and skulking which are morally different. Jesus’ reference to Herod as a fox indicates that he is a light-weight, powerless. Herod was seen as a puppet-king with no real authority and he is still dangerous.
Jesus has set his sights on Jerusalem, the city that rejects God’s messengers and kills its prophets. Jesus knows what is coming, his death, and He will not change his course. A course that will lead him into Jerusalem and Herod’s court where the chicken and the fox will meet.
Luke ends this passage with lament. How often I have desired to gather you. Jesus longs and grieves for his lost and wandering children. For the little ones who will not come home. For the city that will not welcome its saviour. For the endangered multitudes of people who refuse to recognise the danger that awaits them.
How might you be called to lamentation during this holy season? What do you yearn for that eludes you? What missed chances, failed efforts, or broken dreams tug at your heart and call you into mourning? How might we, the Church, lament with Jesus over our homes, our cities, our countries, our planet? How might we stand with him in the Jerusalems of our lives, and weep our sorrow into new hope?
We are called to return. Return to the wings of the mother hen, to find strength and comfort, relief and consolation. Paul reminds the Philippians that citizenship is in heaven, it is there we will wait for our transformation into his likeness. We need to stand firm and hold fast to the promises of faithfulness as Abraham did while waiting for his offspring as numerous as the stars.
Jesus is both loving and lamenting. In this Lent may we know his love for us and take our lamenting to him. He is the way home.