When the fox comes lurking around, someone must surely detect.
It is the role of the hen, who will surely protect.[1]
Sometimes we just need a mother hen.

Today, the children may connect something from Scripture with something familiar to them. Have you ever watched a certain cartoon about a young girl who loved to explore? She had a talking map that guided her, but there was always a little villain, a fox with a mask, trying to steal from her. When he got close, she would shout, "Swiper, no swiping!" and he would disappear.[2] In today’s Gospel, Jesus faces the Pharisees, who warn Him to flee because “Swiper” is after Him, though in this case, the fox is Herod. Jesus doesn’t run; instead, He boldly says, "Tell that fox..."[3] In Jewish tradition, calling someone a fox meant they were cunning but ultimately insignificant. It was an expression for one who was inferior, subordinate to the imperial ruler. Herod and his father were never truly accepted by the Jewish people. They were sly but lacked true power.

Then, Jesus shifts the image, He calls Himself a mother hen. It’s striking, isn’t it? He could compare Himself to a lion, a shepherd, an inanimate object like a vine or a mighty gate, but He chooses a hen, stretching out her wings to protect her brood. And what chance does a hen have against a fox? Yet, she stands firm. There’s strength in that vulnerability, just as Jesus, in His love, refuses to flee but instead embraces His mission.

Margaret Thatcher once said, "The cock may crow, but the hen lays the egg." In Eastern Orthodox tradition, the egg represents new life. The hen knows the value of her chicks, just as God values each of us. He desires to help us truly live but to do so, we must be aware of the risks, the dangers that exist in this mortal life. The responsibility Jesus takes on to detect danger and alert us is one that He takes seriously. This behavioral trait that sheds light on His nature resonates through Scripture when we hear this same protective love throughout Scripture:

When God spoke to Abraham, "Do not be afraid, for I will be your shield." or the Psalmist, who said, "When evildoers [the foxes]come upon me to eat my flesh, it is they who stumble and fall." and further along, "For the day of trouble, He shall keep me safe in His shelter."[4]

Can you hear the voice of the mother hen, calling her brood? Yet, Jesus mourns, "How often I have desired to gather your children together... but you were not willing." Jesus just had to add on that last part. You can hear the weight of his lament for us, “but you were not willing.” Lent is a time to listen for His voice. Like explorers searching for a map, we seek the way Christ is leading us. We may feel small, even unworthy, but we are precious to God. The mother hen sees the danger before we do. We peck at the ground, distracted, unaware of the fox nearby. Yet, Jesus has shown us how to stand firm against evil. He has given us the courage to say, "Swiper, no swiping!"

Today, in our own time, God calls us home. The Church spreads her wings, offering refuge. When the fox is near, someone must detect it. And so, we turn to Jesus, the mother hen, whose role it is to protect us.

[1] The Rev. Jon Roberts
[2] Dora the Explorer, Nickelodean, 2000-2019
[3] Luke 13:31-35
[4] Genesis 15:1 & Psalm 27:3