March 17, 2019
Luke 13:31-35 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” vs. 34
Jerusalem had enormous significance for the Jews of Jesus’ day. In addition to being their religious and political center, it was the “Holy City,” the symbolic residence of God on earth. The books of the prophets and the psalms regularly referenced it as Zion, the City on the Hill, the place to which all nations would one day be drawn. Jesus shared those feelings about Jerusalem and believed that his mission was to restore her holiness, even if it meant his death. As his ministry drew to a close he sensed that her restoration was beyond him and he offers a lament. His words are touching and reveal the extent of God’s love. “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…!” That image of a mother hen is a perfect metaphor for the warm, protective love that God has for every one of us…especially those who have wandered away. How good it is to know that we can snuggle with God and experience soft embraces! No muscular manly squeezes here! Our Heavenly Mother has nothing but tender kisses and a warm gentle touch for those She loves so much!
Thought for the Day: How does it feel to think of God as mother?
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