God’s love, which is stronger than death, is causing me to continue walking the path of the mission the Lord has given me (John 6:1–15).

God’s love, which is stronger than death, is causing me to continue walking the path of the mission the Lord has given me (John 6:1–15).

 

 

 

 

 

 

“At that very time some Pharisees came and said to Him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill You.’  He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, “I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.”  In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!  Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate.  I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:31–35).

 

 

 

(1)    As I read and reread today’s passage, Luke 13:31–35, a question arose in my mind: Why did Jesus refer to Herod, who was trying to kill Him, as “that fox” (“ἀλώπεκι,” verse 32)?

 

(a)    Jesus’ use of the term “fox” (“ἀλώπεκι,” alopeki) toward Herod Antipas carries layered meanings that go beyond merely criticizing his crafty personality.  It reflects the cultural background of Jewish society at the time as well as Jesus’ determination in His ministry (Internet):

 

1.       Craftiness and Cunning (Cultural Craftiness)

 

In rabbinic literature and Greek culture of that time, the fox symbolized deceitfulness and cunning. Herod Antipas was a man who changed his attitude according to circumstances in order to preserve his political position. Jesus saw through his opportunistic and deceptive character and used this term to describe him.

 

2.       Insignificance and Powerlessness (Insignificant Impotence)

 

In Jewish tradition, the lion symbolized a “great person” or a “powerful king,” whereas the fox represented a petty and cowardly creature in contrast to the lion.

 

Meaning: Jesus was ironically declaring that although Herod may have considered himself a powerful ruler (a lion), under God’s sovereignty he was actually an insignificant being with no real authority.

 

Even if Herod threatened to kill Him, Jesus proclaimed that His ministry—casting out demons and healing the sick—would continue according to God’s plan.

 

3.       Destroyer (The Destroyer)

 

Foxes were also depicted as destructive animals that tear down vineyard walls and ruin the fruit (cf. Song of Songs 2:15).

 

Symbolism: Herod opposed Jesus, the true King of Israel, and sought to harm God’s people (the vineyard), thus displaying the character of a “destroyer.”

 

“The reasons Herod Antipas opposed and sought to kill Jesus were complex, involving political threats, religious conflict, and personal guilt.

 

a.       Political Threat and Fear for His Throne

Herod Antipas, as a tetrarch appointed by Rome, regarded maintaining his rule as his highest priority.

 

  Fear of Popular Support: Seeing the large crowds following Jesus, Herod feared that Jesus’ influence might disturb Roman order or spark a rebellion that could threaten his political position.

 

The Appearance of a New King: The Herodian dynasty was extremely sensitive to any news about the coming Messiah, the ‘King of the Jews.’  Just as his father, Herod the Great, had tried to kill the infant Jesus, Antipas also viewed Jesus as a potential rival to his throne.

 

b.       Relationship with John the Baptist and His Guilt

 

Behind Herod’s desire to kill Jesus was the memory of John the Baptist, whom he had executed.

 

  Mistaking Jesus for John Resurrected: When Herod heard about Jesus’ miracles, he became deeply troubled and afraid, saying, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead’ (Lk. 9:7–9).  He may have wanted to kill Jesus in order to silence his guilty conscience and inner fear.

 

Continuity of Ministry: Since Jesus’ message continued the same call to repentance that John had proclaimed, the emergence of another powerful spiritual leader—even after John’s death—became a major problem for Herod.

 

c.       Collaboration with Religious Leaders

 

In Luke 13:31, the Pharisees warn Jesus, ‘Herod wants to kill You, so leave this place.’ This scene strongly suggests political intrigue.

 

A Means of Pressure: The religious leaders, whose vested interests were threatened by Jesus, either used Herod’s death threat to drive Jesus away or actually cooperated with Herod to pressure Him.

Labeling Him a Revolutionary: Herod and the Jewish leadership shared a common interest in portraying Jesus as a dangerous figure who threatened the existing social and religious order.

 

In summary, to Herod, Jesus was not a teacher of truth but a dangerous figure who threatened his power and security and reminded him of the dead John—a threat that needed to be eliminated.

 

This attitude of Herod would later be revealed again when Jesus stood trial before Pilate, as Herod mocked and ridiculed Him (Luke 23:11)” (Internet).

 

Jesus then continues in Luke 13:34 by comparing Himself to a “hen,” contrasting His loving desire to protect the chicks (the children of Jerusalem) from the destructive fox (Herod).

 

4.       Gender and Linguistic Nuance (Feminine Nuance)

 

The Greek word “alopeki” (ἀλώπεκι) is grammatically feminine.  Some scholars interpret Jesus’ use of this term as a subtle criticism of Herod’s weakness and lack of independence, since he was manipulated by others—especially Herodias, who influenced him to kill John the Baptist.

 

In conclusion, Jesus called Herod “that fox” as a bold and sovereign declaration that Herod’s threats could never stop His ministry or God’s plan of salvation.

 

(2)    What did Jesus mean when, even in the midst of Herod’s threats, He said, “Today and tomorrow and the next day I must keep going on My way” (v. 33)?

 

(a)    First, here Jesus said, “Today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on My way” (v. 33).  How is this statement connected to His words in verse 32, “Today and tomorrow I cast out demons and heal people, and on the third day I will reach My goal”?

 

(i)     “The time expressions that Jesus repeatedly mentioned in verses 32 and 33 are closely connected, simultaneously revealing both the process of His ministry and its ultimate destination.  The relationship between these two statements can be summarized in three points.

         1.   The Unity of the ‘Process’ and the ‘Conclusion’ (The Structure of Three Days)

                                  

Verse 32 (The Content of the Ministry): ‘Today and tomorrow I cast out demons and heal people, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’

 

Here, ‘today and tomorrow’ signify the continuation of Jesus’ present saving ministry.  The ‘third day’ symbolizes the point at which His ministry is completed—that is, the cross and resurrection.

 

Verse 33 (The Place of the Ministry): ‘Today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on My way.’

 

The ‘today, tomorrow, and the next day’ in verse 33 correspond exactly to the ‘today, tomorrow, and the third day’ in verse 32.  This emphasizes that Jesus’ ministry (v. 32) was not a coincidence unfolding through the passage of time, but rather a deliberate and necessary journey toward the destination of Jerusalem (v. 33).

 

2.   Confidence in God’s Timetable (Kairos)

 

No matter how much Herod (the fox) threatened to kill Him, Jesus declared that His death was not in Herod’s hands but in God’s timetable.

 

Connection: Because there was a divine plan in verse 32—‘I will reach My goal (complete My work)’—Jesus could boldly say in verse 33, ‘I must go on My way.’  In other words, until the appointed time of completion (the third day) arrived, no one could stop Jesus on His path.  This was a sovereign declaration.

 

3.   The Concrete Meaning of ‘My Way’: Jerusalem

 

The latter part of verse 33 adds the statement, ‘Surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem.’

 

The ministry in verse 32 (healing and casting out demons) was ultimately the process leading toward the destination in verse 33 (death in Jerusalem).

 

Jesus was showing through the connection between these two verses that not only would He not stop His ministry in Galilee, where Herod ruled, but He was willingly walking toward Jerusalem, where death awaited Him.

 

To summarize:

If verse 32 focuses on ‘what’ would be completed (His ministry), then verse 33 shows His firm determination regarding ‘where’ He must go (Jerusalem) in order to accomplish that completion.  Herod’s threats could never hinder either Jesus’ ministry of ‘today and tomorrow’ or the fulfillment of the ‘third day’” (Internet).

 

·         What must the heart of Jesus (the hen) have been like as He said He had to continue on the road toward Jerusalem, where death awaited Him (v. 34)?

 

The heart of Jesus, who silently continued walking toward Jerusalem even in the face of the threat of death (the fox), must have been a heart where “the sorrow of rejected love” and “firm determination toward His mission” intersected.

 

a.    A Heartbreaking Grief (The Heart of Lament)

 

In verse 34, when Jesus cries out twice, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” indescribable sorrow is contained in those words.  He was not entering the city triumphantly like a hero; rather, He went with the heart of a mother hen who knew that her beloved children were trying to kill her, yet still desired to gather and embrace them.

 

Meditation Point: His heart was one in which tears of mercy came before the judgment of justice—a heart willing to go to the place of piercing in order to embrace those who would pierce Him.

 

b.    Unwavering Resolve (Unwavering Resolve)

 

In the words, “I must go on My way” (v. 33), there is a holy determination to fulfill God the Father’s plan of salvation.

 

Meditation Point: The reason the fox’s (Herod’s) cunning could not hinder Jesus was that His heart was already filled with the single-minded purpose of saving His people.  Love stronger than death drove His steps toward Jerusalem.

 

c.    Perseverance That Never Gives Up (Persistent Invitation)

 

The confession, “How often I have longed to gather your children together” (v. 34), was not a momentary emotion, but a demonstration of perseverance that continued throughout history despite repeated rejection.

 

Meditation Point: Even His steps toward Jerusalem at that very moment were steps of patience, giving them one final opportunity.  Even though they were unwilling, the Lord was surely filled with the resolute love that said, “Even if I must die, I will gather you under My wings.”

 

In conclusion, the Lord’s heart was not ‘the fear of one going to die,’ but ‘the desperation of one going to save those He loves’” (Internet).

 

-         God’s love, stronger than death, is causing me to continue walking the path of the mission the Lord has given me (Jn. 6:1–15).

 

(3)    Why did Jesus, after calling Herod a “fox” (verse 32), describe Himself as a “hen” [“ὄρνις” (ornis)] (v. 34)?

 

(a)    “Jesus described Himself as a ‘hen’ (ὄρνις) in order to proclaim God’s sacrificial and embracing love in contrast to the ‘fox’ (Herod), who exercised destructive power.

 

1.       A ‘Sacrificial Shield’ Standing Against the Predator

 

The fox is a predator that harms others for its own safety, but the hen is a creature that uses its own body as a shield to protect its chicks in the face of danger.

A Foreshadowing of the Cross: Just as a hen spreads its wings to cover its chicks, Jesus gave His own body on the cross to protect us from the judgment of sin and the threats of the world.

 

Victory Through Vulnerability: A hen has no weapons such as teeth or claws, yet it does not flee to the very end, but embraces its chicks and faces death. This symbolizes the Lord’s way of overcoming the world not through violence, but through love and sacrifice.

 

2.       An Irresistible ‘Motherly Affection’

 

The image of the hen does not portray an authoritarian ruler, but the aching heart of a mother toward her children.

 

An Unceasing Invitation: When danger comes, a hen calls its chicks with a distinctive cry.  Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, saying, “How often I have longed to gather your children together,” revealing God’s tireless desire to save Israel.

 

A Symbol of Refuge: In Jewish tradition, being “under the wings” signifies God’s protection and rest.  The Lord was inviting His people not into the rule of the cunning fox, but into the true peace found under the shadow of His wings.

 

3.       The Contrast Between ‘Wanting to Gather’ and ‘Not Willing’

 

The core of this metaphor is the tragic reality that despite the earnest call of the hen (the Lord), the chicks (Jerusalem) “were not willing” (Lk. 13:34).

 

The Lord grieved more deeply over the stubbornness of the people, who rejected His love and followed the way of the fox, than over the threats of the fox itself.

 

In conclusion, by becoming the hen Himself, Jesus confirmed the power of love, which is stronger than the sword of the world (the fox)” (Internet).

 

(4)    Despite the Lord’s (the hen’s) earnest call, why was Jerusalem (the chicks) unwilling to accept Jesus’ love?

 

“The reasons why Jerusalem (the Jewish people and their leaders) at that time ‘were not willing’ to accept the love of Jesus, who desired to gather them like a hen, can largely be divided into three theological and historical backgrounds.

 

1.       Because Jesus Did Not Match Their Expected Image of the Messiah

 

At that time, the Jews were waiting for a powerful political and military Messiah (a lion-like king) who would deliver them from Roman oppression.

 

Reality: But Jesus came not as a warrior carrying a sword, but in the form of a sacrificial ‘hen.’

 

Result: Jesus’ words about denying oneself and taking up the cross did not fit at all with their expectations of ‘glory and victory,’ so they rejected the Lord’s embrace.

 

2.       Because They Wanted to Preserve Their Privileges and Self-Righteousness

 

The religious leaders of Jerusalem believed that they were already faithfully keeping God’s law and living under God’s special protection.

 

Misconception: They did not see themselves as ‘lost chicks.’ Rather, they considered themselves spiritual leaders, so Jesus’ invitation calling them to repentance and seeking to gather them was perceived as an insult to their pride and a challenge to their system.

 

Reason for Rejection: Unable to bear the denial of their teachings and traditions, they sought not to come under the Lord’s wings, but to break those wings.

 

3.       Because They Had Become Accustomed to the Worldly Ways of the ‘Fox’

 

As seen in the context of Luke 13, people at that time feared Herod (the fox), the visible power, or had become accustomed to living within that power structure.

Distrust: Rather than trusting in the invisible Kingdom of God and the reign of love, following the immediate logic of worldly benefit and power seemed safer to them.

 

Spiritual Blindness: Since they did not recognize “the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:42), they could not trust the safety offered by the embrace of the Lord, the true King of peace.

 

4.       Punitive Hardness of Heart (A Historical Repetition)

 

In the first part of verse 34, Jesus says, “You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.”  This shows that Jerusalem’s historical stubbornness—its repeated rejection of God’s earnest appeals and warnings throughout history—had reached its climax.  Ultimately, through their own stubbornness and pride, they pushed away the embrace of life itself” (Internet).

 

(a)    Why do modern people today reject the Lord’s embrace and “are not willing”?

 

Because the ‘false wings’ offered by today’s world appear so attractive and secure. This can be divided into three main reasons (Internet):

 

a.       Obsession With ‘Self-Deification’ and Independence

 

The core message of modern culture is: “You are the master of your own life.”

 

Reason: Entering under the hen’s wings means acknowledging one’s helplessness and fully accepting the Lord’s rule and protection.

 

Hardness of Heart: However, modern people believe they can control life through their own intellect, abilities, and technology. They misunderstand the Lord’s embrace not as a refuge, but as a ‘restriction’ limiting their freedom, and therefore push it away themselves.

 

b.       The Abundance of ‘False Refuges’ (The Temptations of the Modern Fox)

 

In the past, people sought the Lord in the face of threats to survival, but now there are many things that appear safer than the Lord’s wings.

 

Reason: Wealth (money), insurance, science and technology, and social systems have become the new gods of modern people.

 

Hardness of Heart: Visible bank accounts and social status seem more reliable than the invisible wings of the Lord, so people dismiss the Lord’s earnest call as merely ‘unrealistic religious rhetoric.’

 

c.       Spiritual Busyness and Numbed Senses

 

The Lord is still calling us today, but modern people live in an extremely noisy and busy world.

 

Reason: Endless media, consumer culture, and instant pleasures have blocked spiritual ears.

 

Hardness of Heart: The cry of a hen calling her chicks is not loud or sensational, but gentle.  Modern people, chasing greater stimulation and entertainment, have lost both the time and the inner space to hear the Lord’s grieving cry and invitation.

 

Ultimately, the words “you were not willing” point out not that the Lord lacks the power to gather us, but that we are trapped in the arrogance of believing we can live without Him” (Internet).

 

(i)       What, then, should we do when we are trapped in the arrogance of thinking we can live without the Lord?

 

“The arrogance of believing ‘we can live without the Lord’ is the root that creates the modern version of the ‘desolate house’ (v. 35).  To escape this spiritual sickness, we need a process of ‘stopping,’ ‘humbling ourselves,’ and ‘turning back’ (Internet sources):

 

(a)    Expose the Illusion of the ‘Fox’ and ‘Stop’

We must recognize that the securities offered by the world (money, fame, technology) can never become eternal refuges.

 

Practice: We must stop clinging to control over our lives and acknowledge that the things we depend on are finite and can betray us at any time, just like the ‘fox.’  Even if only for ten minutes a day, we need a time of ‘stopping’—turning off the noise of the world and listening to the sound of the Lord’s wings (His Word).

 

(b)    Humble Ourselves With the Identity of ‘Chicks’

 

The first step to entering beneath the hen’s wings is confessing that we are weak beings unable to protect ourselves.

 

Practice: Prayer is not a means of expanding our own abilities, but an act of acknowledging our helplessness.  The honest confession, “Lord, without You I am like a little bird that cannot be safe even for a moment,” rescues us from pride.

 

(c)    Redirect the Direction of Our ‘Desires’

 

The tragedy in verse 34 lies in the words, “you were not willing.” Now we must use our will.

 

Practice: This means training ourselves to choose not ‘the path I want,’ but ‘the path the Lord tells me to go.’  Even if it is a Jerusalem where death awaits—a place of mission—we must make the decision to run into His embrace if the Lord is there.

 

(d)    Restore ‘Gathering Together’

 

The hen gathers her ‘children.’ Alone, we easily become arrogant, but within a community of faith we recognize one another’s weaknesses and experience the Lord’s wings together.

Practice: Just as the Lord embraced us with His love, we too are to live lives of mission by becoming a small sheltering wing for someone else.  Paradoxically, when we give love, we come to realize that we ourselves cannot live without the Lord’s love.

 

“Behold, your house is left desolate” (v. 35) is a warning that life apart from the Lord’s embrace ends only in emptiness. But conversely, if we remain within His embrace, we will obtain the most perfect peace that the world can never give.

 

(5)    Finally, what did Jesus mean when He said, “I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (v. 35)?

 

(a)    This statement is a prophetic declaration that simultaneously contains Jerusalem’s spiritual rejection, the resulting judgment, and future restoration. Its main meaning can be summarized in three points (Internet):

 

1.       Spiritual Separation and Judgment Resulting From Rejection

 

Jesus repeatedly tried to gather the Jewish people, but they rejected Him.  The phrase “you will not see Me again” means that by rejecting the Messiah, their intimate relationship with God would be broken, and the temple (“your house”), in which they took pride, would become desolate.

 

This was both a prophecy of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 and a warning of the desolation experienced by souls that push the Lord away.

 

2.       A Delayed Recognition of the Messiah

 

“He who comes in the name of the Lord” is an expression quoted from Psalm 118:26 and refers to the Messiah. This statement can be interpreted in two timeframes:

 

The Near Future (The Triumphal Entry): When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds waved palm branches and shouted this verse.

The Ultimate Future (The Second Coming): It also points to the final time when the people of Israel will open their spiritual eyes, receive Jesus as the true Messiah, and praise Him at His return.

 

3.       Hope for Repentance and Restoration

 

Although Jesus was declaring judgment in the present, the phrase “until” contains the hidden promise that Israel would one day confess Jesus as Lord and return to Him.  In other words, true encounter with Him and spiritual restoration will occur when people genuinely recognize and welcome Jesus as the Messiah.

 

In conclusion, this statement is both a warning of the judgment that will come upon those who reject Jesus and a majestic declaration looking toward the day when all people will praise Him as Lord when He returns.

 

(i)       As I meditated on these words, I came to think that we must continue praying for those we are trying to evangelize, believing in the promise of restoration that one day they too will confess Jesus as Lord and return to Him.  The reasons we must keep praying are as follows (Internet):

          

a.       God’s Heart (Waiting): Just as Jesus grieved over Jerusalem, God earnestly desires that not even one soul should perish, but return.  The phrase “until” means that the opportunity to return remains open.

 

b.       Prayer That Opens Blind Eyes: In the passage, Israel could not see Jesus because their spiritual eyes were veiled.  Our prayers become a spiritual channel through which the blinded eyes of unbelievers are opened, enabling them to confess Jesus as “the One who comes in the name of the Lord.”

 

c.       Hope That Never Gives Up: If there is a promise that even stubborn Israel will eventually return praising Him, then we too can have hope that the people for whom we are praying and witnessing can certainly be changed in God’s timing.

 

The Bible exhorts us not to lose heart, but to pray continually.  Even though they may seem to reject Him now, our precious mission is to trust the Lord’s promise and intercede while looking forward to the day when their confession of praise will burst forth” (Internet).