January 11th, 2008
A Fox And A Mother Hen
Luke 13:31-35 is often referred to as the “lament over Jerusalem.” The text is couched within a larger segment of Luke’s Gospel known as the travel narrative (9:51-19:27). Jesus’ Galilean ministry has drawn to a close, and he has now “made up his mind to go to Jerusalem” (9:51, CEV), where God’s purpose will be accomplished.
Jesus receives a warning that Herod wants to kill him. Herod’s reputation as a tyrant has been referenced earlier in Luke’s Gospel (3:19, 9:7-9). Jesus responds to the threat by calling Herod a fox and proclaiming his commitment to continue his ministry of healing (13:32). The reference to the three days signals Jesus’ impending death and resurrection.