Some Pharisees come to warn Jesus that King Herod was looking for him; he answered, ‘ go tell that fox …’ I am working and healing, too busy to worry about you. He adds a pointed reference to his three days of work and laments of the many prophets before him whose faithful work ended with their murder. He adds he must go to Jerusalem where he will meet his end. Jesus declares how he longed to gather all his chicks under his wings like a mother hen. But they would not listen, wanting instead to go their own way, presumably, and now are to be left behind until a future time when Jesus promised to return.
This is a rich rhetorical framework in which to imagine life in the world of the Fox, the Hen, and chicks. Not to mention a platform for the evangelist to bring home the point that Gd cares.
The evangelist puts these words in the mouth of Jesus for rhetorical purposes. What is his message?
What is it like to live in the world as a fox? A hen, a chick?
Imagine you are a hen trying to gather your chicks. Desperately, she tries to get her chicks to stay under her wings for protection. One might imagine she fears a fox on the prowl or a chicken hawk circling overhead. The chicks keep trying to get to the barnyard to hunt and peck,innocent of the danger, driven by hunger. The hen clucks and hustles them back to safety under her wings, shielding them from threats of predators. But they refuse to settle down.
The chicks don’t want to be mothered. They are restless. They are hungry. They want to hunt seeds, bugs and worms. They want to eat and explore the world around them. They want what they want and won’t look up. The mother hen does her best but is frustrated and worried like any mother would be.
The world of the chick is small; they are ignorant of danger and don’t even know enough to worry for their lives or futures. What could happen? Like teenagers driving home after a big game having too much fun to notice on coming headlights — A parent’s biggest fear, I know, I’ve been there.
We can all be careless creatures, and unaware of wings that spread out to shelter us. Too often invisible as we rush through busy lives.
The world of faithful people (adults and children) is small especially in the context of the cosmos, and we are naive to think we understand the mysterious depths of the world or of Gd’s love. We prefer to be on our own and follow our own predilections. We think living under the hen’s wings restrictive or too burdensome.
Chicks do not long survive without protection in a predatory environment, no matter how brazenly they approach the world. Foxes are always hanging around and make the world a dangerous place. Chicks have little foresight. They are controlled by hunger and resist mother hens. It is the old innocence to experience theme on steroids.
Those of us who survive to adulthood or old age look back in wonder at our survival and whatever successes. Trust me. I can relate. I shake my head in surprise daily. It is a pure expression of grace that I’m here. And I am very thankful.
Foxes are predators. They are opportunistic. In their world they look for any chance to grab a meal and are often ravenous and destructive. They don’t have limits beyond the practical, ie the availability of food (or read drugs, sex, power, etc) which includes assessing the possibility of pulling off a raid without adverse consequences. We probably know people who fit this description.
Surely the evangelist was aware this metaphor could be applied to powerful people. And we see all about us today manifestations of power where people decide they know what is best for the rest. Such leaders believe they have special privileges to exercise vengeance on those who do not measure up to their standards or fail to show proper deference and respect for their authority and interests. This is not new and unfortunately, it has come home to roost today in our own country.
The evangelical point seems to be: Jesus is (was) here. Jesus is (was) available. Jesus offered to be our protector, our mother hen. Jesus poured out his love for us through his work in the world, but sadly we didn’t grasp his purpose or failed to listen closely. Perhaps we were too preoccupied with our own hungers or worried about foxes.
The fox remains on the on the alert for an opportunity to attack unsuspecting prey as Jesus clearly knew. So be wary. Don’t let your hungers lead you into unsafe territory. The evangelist’s story gives us a warning, a prediction, and a promise; it was written probably somewhere between 80-90 CE for his audience, IE, followers of the way of love in a time of persecution. It applies equally well to us in the maelstrom of the present day.
Don’t be fooled by the machinations of foxes. They will use any means to entice you from under mother hen’s wings. Be steady in your faith and stay with your community under the guidance and protection of elders. Learn from them. Keep the faith that Jesus will return and place us under his protection in the kin-dom to come.
Woe to young innocent chicks who allow their drives to dominate their lives, or succumb to wilderness temptations. For they are easy prey. Be prepared. Learn to be wise in the ways of the world- wise as serpents, gentle as doves.
By extension the message goes on to point out how few of us listen. Most chicks head out to hunt and peck and feed their hungers leaving behind family(fathers and mothers, etc) to explore the world and seek their fortune. This is to be expected. Such is the tragic life as Miguel de Unamuno proclaimed.
Jesus agrees as when the evangelist has him say but you would not stay (similar to the prodigal son) and now I must be off to Jerusalem where prophets go to die. And soon I will be gone but you have the spirit of hope and someday I will return when you are ready. So have hope! Keep the faith! Practice being a loving community!
Explore Gd’s creation as the gift it is,
But be wary of foxes who will make a meal of you.
And be kind to hens who do their best to keep us safe under their wings.
PS : I don’t know if I believe in Gd or the return of Jesus, sometimes yes, but not as a certainty. I do think love heals, and we are blessed with life which gives us the opportunity to choose to play the fox or the hen. And just as importantly,
we have one chance to take care of as many chicks as we can.
THH
3/17/25
St Patrick’s Day
Thoughts Have Hands 