His Protective, Compassionate Love
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem … how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Luke 13:34
When I was growing up, along with a lot of other farm animals, we had a dozen chickens. Occasionally, my dad would ask me to go out and collect the eggs from the chickens. I have to be honest and tell you that I was afraid to do that job. There was one hen in particular that would begin squawking loudly as soon as she saw me coming and I would start crying because I knew she would peck me when I reached under her to retrieve the eggs she was sitting on. But I wanted to be brave and not tell my dad I was a bigger chicken then that hen! Over time I grew to admire her bravery in protecting her potential chicks.
I love this verse of scripture because we can hear the love Jesus is expressing for His people, even while they are rejecting Him. Knowing He’d be killed there as prophets had been, Jesus spoke of his desire to protect and care for His people. He used the image of a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings, to keep them safe and defend them. NT Wright shares a story that in a barn fire, a mother hen gathered her chicks under her wings. Once the fire was put out and the rubble was sorted, the dead hen was found, and her chicks were still chirping alive under her wings.
Jesus willingly laid down His life, so we can live. Through His death and resurrection, sin, evil and even death itself are defeated. Through faith in Him and His love we have Life!
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love, compassion and willingness to lay down Your life for us. Amen.