Luke 13: 31-35
Author: Elizabeth Rogan
Reflection: v. 34, ‘as a hen gathers her brood’
Jesus spent his adult life in a community much like the one we have at Mercy Community Church. He surrounded himself with the people who were outcast and shunned, and made it his mission to make his community seen and cared for. The passage from Luke 13: 31-35 describes how Jesus was warned that Herod would kill him, and he responded, essentially, ‘Come at me; I will not back down until I have finished the work that is left for me to do.’ He likened his role to a hen protecting her brood, standing defiant as those in Jerusalem threatened him, and his people, with harm. For me, this metaphor calls to mind our beloved Mercy pastors, who fearlessly provide community, shelter, comfort, and above all safety to those whom the rest of society casts
aside. In this season of Lent, it is also interesting to read that Jesus said that he needed three days to accomplish his work, and that his undoing would happen by those in Jerusalem. Perhaps this was a foreshadowing of the three days from his execution to his resurrection, in that same Jerusalem. Jesus did not shy away from the danger of his mission—he embraced it, and by fearlessly forging ahead in the face of death, he made the power of his message more enduring than anyone could have imagined. We live that message every day at Mercy Community Church, standing tall in the face of opposition and scorn from society, and protecting each other like a hen with her chicks.
Prayer Help us to protect the ones you care about, O God, just as you so lovingly protect us.