• Brood of Chickens, Luke 13:31-35        (see below)
  by Rev. Randy Quinn 
   

• TAKE COURAGE, Psalm 27: 1-14
  By David Rogne                       
   

• Sanctuary,   Luke 13:31-35
  by Rev. Richard Gehring         
   

• Heavenly-Minded People, Philippians 3:17 - 4:1
  by Rev. Randy L. Quinn  
   

• The Covenant, Thomas Hall, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

 
 

• Ashamed of Jesus? Luke 13:31-35, by DG Bradley
   

• Wings to Fly, Luke 13:31-35, by Victoria Kempf
   

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Brood of Chickens
a sermon based on Luke 13:31-35
by Rev. Randy Quinn

It's curious in this passage that the Pharisees come to Jesus to warn him about Herod. Curious because the Pharisees have made it clear that they are not on Jesus' side (Lk 6:11; 11:53). Curious because Jesus already knows about Herod (Lk 9:7-9). And curious too, because when Herod finally meets Jesus he has questions, but presents no real threats to harm him (Lk 23:6-12).

These facts might lead us to the conclusion that there is something good in the Pharisees, that they are not all bad. Or we might conclude that there really is no threat from Herod and the Pharisees are trying to trick Jesus.

Maybe these Pharisees are trying to lure Jesus into a different place to fulfill a plan of their own. Or perhaps these Pharisees are trying to get Jesus to keep the lid on things; they’re thinking the threat of Herod may help them silence Jesus. Yet it could be that these Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus into saying he was working for Herod rather than for the Jews.

We don't really know and scholars are not all in agreement. What we do know is that our lesson last week suggested that the devil waited until another opportunity to tempt Jesus, making me wonder if this wasn't another subtle form of temptation.

"Stop making such a fuss here and I'll give you the gift of long life." To which Jesus gives a resounding "no!" He has a task to do and he is not going to be deterred.

"Tell that ol' fox that I have things to do and I'm going to do them," says Jesus (v 32). Now, it's pretty obvious that if the Pharisees are really trying to help Jesus, they would never bring these words to Herod. And if the Pharisees are trying to trick Jesus by putting words into Herod's mouth, they would never bring these words to Herod. But, if the Pharisees are working with Herod to put an end to Jesus, these words are going to add fuel to the fire and make it easier for Herod to impose restrictions on Jesus and his Disciples.

That never happens, so I suspect Herod never heard these words of Jesus, leading me to the conclusion that the Pharisees are trying to work the system to their advantage. They were simply trying to deter Jesus from continuing his ministry.

But Jesus made it clear that he knows where he is heading and will not be stopped in finishing his task.

In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says that the two most important habits are to "Be Proactive" and to "Begin With the End in Mind". By proactive, he means choosing our direction in life based on what we value. And to begin with the end in mind means deciding where we want to be when we arrive at our destination. It's being what he calls, "Principle Centered."

Jesus expresses both concepts in this short passage. He does not let Herod or the threat of Herod or the threat of the Pharisees make his decisions. He chooses a course of action based on his own value system, on his understanding of what the important things in life are. He is proactive.

And he knows what the end he has in mind will look like. He will be in Jerusalem for the final days of his life, not here in Galilee. In the end, Jesus will accomplish the plan of God in his life, to bring healing and to bring salvation into the world.

His principles guide his decisions. We, on the other hand, are more often like a brood of chickens.

Like a mother hen, Jesus says, God wants to draw us under her wings and protect us. But we'd rather peck the ground in front of us and not pay attention to our direction, our purpose, our path. In doing so, we fail to see obstacles and dangers before us, but maybe worse yet, we also miss the opportunities and blessings that God has prepared for us.

We are neither proactive nor do we have a long enough range in our vision to see where we are heading. Instead, we react to whatever is pushing us right now or whatever we see in front of us right now. And we haven't a clue as to where our current path will lead us. [continue]