Passion


Matthew 23:37-39
37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
38See, your house is left to you desolate.
39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus’ final words to the people in the Temple are heart wrenching. He has warned, illustrated, cajoled; all to no avail. Now these last few words are passionate and almost desperate. He longs to gather them up and place His protection around them, but they are not interested. Even though He knows that the Pharisees will not relent, Jesus continues to speak with them and appeals to their hearts to believe in Him. While there are indeed a few Pharisees who become notable believers for the most part their hearts remain hard. Because of this His heart is broken.

The image that Jesus uses here is rather odd. He points to the habits of a chicken and her brood of chicks. When there is danger, the chicks will run under the hen’s wings which provide an amazing amount of protection. A hen will literally give up her life to keep those chicks safe under her wings. So this final illustration is certainly apt. But the mother hen can do nothing if the chick refuses to be protected and runs off to seek its own way. Then it is left to its own devices and is subject to the weather and all that could endanger it.

Of course the analogy is simple to see. Do we have times of running around like that undisciplined chick or do we seek shelter in the only safe place available; under the shadow of His wing. There are multiple references to this image in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms.

Psalm 17:6-9
6I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
8Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.

Psalm 91:1-4
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 36:7
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

These Psalms are just a few of the many times God uses this image to help us understand His great passion for us. He gives up His life to give us ours back. It’s a beautiful image and one that we can spend some time meditating upon as we remember God’s great love for us.

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