The message is as follows:
Of Foxes and Hens
March 20
My name is Alvin Kolach. My home church is Resurrection Lutheran. I am a retired school teacher and the father of two beautiful girls who also teach. They have followed in the footsteps of their late mother who was an outstanding special education teacher. Now I have a grand daughter and I think she may become prime minister.
This evening, I am not going to pretend to be a bible scholar. I will simply share from my own lived experiences and meditation as the spirit has led me. My message is simple because I am a simple man.
To begin, I want to share a country song made popular by Willie Nelson.
Troublemaker
I could tell the moment that I saw Him
He was nothing but the trouble making kind
His hair was much too long and His motley group of friends
Had nothing but rebellion on their minds
He was nothing but the trouble making kind
His hair was much too long and His motley group of friends
Had nothing but rebellion on their minds
He's rejected the establishment completely
I know for sure He's never held a job
He just goes from town to town, stirring up the young folks
'Til they're nothing but a disrespectful mob
I know for sure He's never held a job
He just goes from town to town, stirring up the young folks
'Til they're nothing but a disrespectful mob
I know for sure He's never joined the army
And served His country like we all have done
He'd rather wear His sandals and His flowers
While others wage the war that must be won
And served His country like we all have done
He'd rather wear His sandals and His flowers
While others wage the war that must be won
They arrested Him last week and found Him guilty
And sentenced Him to die but that's no great loss
Friday they will take Him to a place called Calvary
And hang that troublemaker to a cross
And sentenced Him to die but that's no great loss
Friday they will take Him to a place called Calvary
And hang that troublemaker to a cross
Interesting perspective…indeed this perspective may have been shared by many who heard of Jesus, but never really knew Him.
This Jesus was going from town to town stirring up the young folks with disrespectful comments such as
“The measure you give will be the measure you get” (Mt 7:2).
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you… For the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Lk 6:36-38).
“As you did it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
Jesus telling those who would listen to follow the Way. Christ’s way was primarily a way of life not a doctrinal system of beliefs, or a promise of eternal salvation. The way is a faith pathway built on love, not doctrinal belief. Help those in need. Heal the sick. Visit the prisoner. Don’t destroy and hate one another. Pray for your enemies. Love God and neighbor.
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Turn your cheek. Share your cloak. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Learn to act outside of self interest for the good of the whole world. Let suffering transform you rather than passing the suffering on to others. Do more than believe the right things…beyond the fact that God is Love. Love what God loves…the good and the bad. Be the leaven, the salt, the mustard seed that God uses to transform the whole world. Don’t value the acquisition of wealth.
The way I view Jesus lamentation may be different than the view of others. Yes, Jesus knew that the conditions that existed within Jerusalem would lead to imminent destruction. But Jesus was not lamenting the city so much as the condition of people within Jerusalem, Palestine, and by extension anywhere where similar conditions existed. Jesus’ ambition was to create a heavenly kingdom that followed the way rather than an earthly kingdom such as that which existed under Herod Antipas.
The conditions in Jerusalem were bleak.
- Over 90 % of the people lived in poverty. The lame, the sick, and the blind had to beg at the gates of the city to stay alive. Widows were not cared for. The same conditions existed in the surrounding villages. Land ownership was concentrated on a few wealthy landowners. Peasants were living hand to mouth. One bad crop year and they were ruined. Overtaxed, overworked and underpaid. It was a cruel place.
- The poor were taxed to death. They paid tax to Rome, to the local government of Herod whose ambition was to build megaprojects such as the city of Tiberias (where I sure there was a golf course surrounded by condominiums and a Tower or two), and to the temple.
- The temple was a den of thieves where pilgrims who came to celebrate the Passover had to first exchange currency at outrageous rates then purchase doves and other animals for sacrifice. The temple courtyard was packed with money changers, livestock, and merchants.
- The priesthood was preoccupied with tax collection to protect their privileged position. They were the keepers of the law, and even then, the law was interpreted in a way that majored on the minors and minored on the majors.
Now, let us examine the text. Luke 13:31-35. The text begins with a group of Pharisees warning Jesus to stay away from Jerusalem because Herod is irritated by Jesus’ so called trouble making ways. Jesus responds by sending a message. “He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’” [13:32] Herod was compared to a fox, an animal known for being cunning, sneaky, and self-serving. The fox metaphor suggests one who will break in, destroy, and steal.
Jesus continues: Verse 33- “In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 34″O 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, but you were not willing! 35Look, 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.'”
Jesus is not fearful of the fearful. He will continue driving out demons and healing the sick “today, tomorrow, and the next day.”
Living the way requires single-minded purpose. If you get in trouble for following the way, let the chips fall where they may.
One of the greatest questions facing humanity is: “What is Christ like?” He is compared to a King, a lion, a shepherd, a rock, but Christ compares himself to a hen. A lovely metaphor. A hen. Just as a hen hovers over her chicks. Keeping them together, providing warmth and protection. There are stories of henhouse fires, although I can’t say I have witnessed a poultry inferno, where a fire has taken the life of a hen, but much to the surprise of the henhouse paramedics, live chicks escaped death because of the sacrifice of the mother hen.
Jesus was God incarnate. He came not to change God’s mind about humans, He came to change the human mind about God. He hovers over us like a hen hovers over her chicks. Warming, protecting, … He transforms us and he protects us. He loves us and wants us to be at one with Him under his warming, protective wings. He desires that we have abundant life and joy rather than separating ourselves from Him through greed, hatred, selfishness, fear, and cruelty.
The good news of Jesus of Nazareth, within the context of the political and religious oppression and exploitation of first century Judaism within the Roman Empire, was a highly political statement about the hungry being fed; the thirsty being given something to drink; strangers invited in; the naked clothed; the sick visited; freedom for prisoners; recovery of sight for the blind; the oppressed set free. All of this was the good news then, just as it is now.
The Christian Church was built upon the life and teachings of Jesus as interpreted and developed through the Followers of the Way down the years, but Jesus had no intention of establishing a Christian Church. His intention was to reform Judaism and to direct the political and religious authorities to show mercy rather than exploit the poor and the oppressed. As the ministry of Jesus developed it also took on an additional direction in that Judaism should become inclusive rather than exclusive, based upon compassion rather than upon the strict keeping of religious laws.
As a part of his trouble making ways, he stated that people should not put new wine into old wineskins. He wanted to change the system. Jesus’ life and teaching demonstrated personal salvation cannot be divorced from social and systemic implications. Society should be based on servant leadership not on domination and control that produces racism, classism, sexism, power seeking and income inequality.
In the first five centuries, Christianity was primarily a way of life, not a doctrinal system of beliefs or a promise of eternal salvation. Living a Christ life changed and improved the lives of those who followed the way. You can see how those who were living in poverty, oppression, and bondage would certainly be regarded as Good News.
The same good news applies today. Just imagine a world where the cardinal value was not the acquisition of wealth, but rather sharing, helping people in need, A world where people did not destroy and hate one another, but would choose to pray for their supposed enemies, love God and neighbour. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, turn the other cheek, put your self in the other person’s shoes, realize that we are all broken people in need of forgiveness, grace, and God’s transforming Love. Allow God’s love and abundance to flow through you, broaden your circle of compassion to include not only your friends, but acquaintances, and strangers. Realize God desires to take everyone under his wings. This is the Kingdom of God that we pray for…the path of salvation. Becoming a follower of Christ takes years, requires deliberate choices, steps of faith as we learn to love in community.
As you know, there is a lot of talk today about what makes a country great. Not surprisingly, many people think in terms of Gross Domestic Product, Low Unemployment rates, and rule of law. A research study done by the BBC reveals this is a false assumption. An article written by Amanda Ruggeri explains how
“when it comes to figuring out how well a country is serving its citizens, GDP and unemployment rates are not accurate indicators of how well the government serves its citizens.
On estimates of social progress, for example – which measures aspects like access to health, education, food and affordable housing – poorer countries often outdo their wealthier counterparts. social progress is not completely explained by economic variables.
The Social Progress Index is one of a number of indexes that aggregate data about countries worldwide – and about how well those countries are serving their populations.
I have deliberately not mentioned present politics of Canada or the United States. I will let you read between the lines. But dream of this…as an individual, as a family, as a community, a church, a denomination, a religion, a province, a country, think of a world where people follow the way.
For your own part, live gently. Keep in mind the needs of the planet, other creatures, and the generations to come. Live a just life indentifying with the needs of the poor, the meek, and those who weep.
As we reflect on Jesus’ life in this Lenten season, it seems at one level to be a waste. A wise teacher who healed and forgave was nailed to a cross for his efforts. Often our small acts of heroism and sacrifice seem pointless, but God reminds me that no act of self emptying is ever isolated or worthless. Everything is connected. We are all one. God is all and in all. See one another as being loved by God. Let love flow. Don’t store it up. Give it away. Divine love is infinite and abundant and will always come back to us if we don’t cling. Our acts of kindness, compassion, and self emptying are catalyzed by God to create healing, miracles, and hope.
In closing, I want to encourage you to get out there, act like chickens and make some trouble.
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