“At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him,
‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’ 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. In any case, I must
press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die
outside Jerusalem!’” (Luke 13:31-33)
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and suggested him to leave this
place and go somewhere else for King Herod wanted to kill him. The Scripture
tells that the Pharisees and Herodians were united to kill Jesus though they
were politically against each other. How did our Lord Jesus respond? He called Herod
fox. It’s not a command to go tell Herod the fox but a rhetoric statement to
indicate that he was a cunning and crafty man. When our Lord Jesus was arrested
the Jews turned him over to Governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate learned that he was
a Galilean and under Herod’s jurisdiction and sent him over to King Herod who
was in Jerusalem at that time (Luke 23:6-7) Herod wanted to be entertained
himself by piling many questions on him but our Lord Jesus gave him no answer.
“When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a
long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he
hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions,
but Jesus gave him no answer.” (Luke 23:8-9)
Herod was an Edomite, descent of Esau who sold his birthright
with a bowl of red stew. Jesus warned his disciples of the yeast of Herod which
means the worldly mindset ruled by the power of darkness and deceitfulness. He was
the representative of the man of earth and flesh which is diabolically opposing
the Spirit. Earthly mind never understands the things in heaven and rejects the
truth. That’s why our Lord Jesus gave him no answer at all.
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and
the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other,
so that you are not to do whatever you want.” (Galatians 5:16-17)
Our Lord Jesus was fully assured and remained calm and
serene when he was told that the fox wanted to kill him. How could he be so
assured of what he was going to do and achieve? It’s because he fully trusted
in the hand of the Father who sent him to do his work. There is nothing in heaven
and on earth and under the earth greater than God. No power can prevail that of
God because all power is derived from him. Our Lord’s confidence is right and
logically true because it’s grounded on the truth of God.
“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.” In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for
surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!’” (Luke 13:32-33)
No one runs the course of history but God alone. How cunning
and clever the plan of the intelligent mind of the world it is! However, look
what they have done and accomplished. Nothing. There have been wonderful
achievements in science and technology. But in the realm of morality, they have
not improved a bit. It’s a total failure. Why? It’s because humans are the
bundle of problems. Jesus says that no blind man can lead the blind.
Our Lord Jesus knew that he would be cut off and become
nothing as Prophet Daniel prophesied (Daniel 9:26). The Scripture calls it God’s
appointed time. Jesus repeatedly taught his disciples that he would suffer much
and die by the hands of elders and leaders and on the third day he would rise
again from the dead. He knew that his time was approaching set by none other
than the Father himself. Jesus exactly knew his time and taught the disciples not
to worry because all life lies in the hand of the Father in heaven.
"Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who
walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light.” (John
11:9)
Seizing the opportunity, our Lord Jesus reveals the hidden
truth before the creation of world. He lamented over Jerusalem because they
refused the stretching hand of God over and over again.
“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, and you were not willing. Look, 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.’” (Luke 13:34-35)
This is the heart of God. He desires to gather his children together
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. What a beautiful picture that is!
Chicks are safe and secure under their hen’s wings. Predators lurk out there to
snatch chicks at any moment. God endured his people of Israel that Jerusalem
might have repented and entered into the full riches of fellowship with the
Father. But they refused and killed the prophets and stoned those sent to them.
Now Jerusalem was poised to kill the prophet whom they were waiting for years
and years.
Despite their repeated rejections and failures God kept the
promise to send his Son Jesus Christ that whosoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son through whom anyone may have
life and have it more abundantly. Prophet Isiah prophesied how much God was
willing to give his people the waters, wine and milk to drink without money and
without cost and bread to delight in the richest of fare.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you
who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and
without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does
not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight
in the richest of fare.” (Isaiah 55:1-2)
Our Lord Jesus says his disciples to believe that the Father
in heaven is willing to give them the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)
But Jesus says that one thing which cannot be forgiven is to
speak against the Holy Spirit. Speaking against the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean to
fail and trespass at times in the Christian experience because we all do fail
and sin in the midst of pressure and difficulties of life. Rather, it means to
keep on rejecting the testimony of the Spirit who speaks the truth regarding
the Son Jesus Christ.
“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be
forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,
either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32)
That’s the reason our Lord Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because
they kept on refusing to repent even though God sent his begotten Son Jesus
Christ.
“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, and you were not willing.” (Luke
13:24)
Now their rejection of the Son of the blessed God is so
serious that their house has been left desolate until the coming of Jesus Christ
in the name of the Lord.
“Look, 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.’” (Luke 13:35)
Our God is compassionate and merciful and does not want
anyone to perish at all. Our God is like father in the parable of the lost son.
The arm of God is open for anyone who repents and comes to him and welcomes and
gives eternal life. There is an undeniable evidence of his love manifested in
the Son Jesus Christ who took up the sin of the world and died. Choice is ours
whether to respond to his unfathomable love. One produces delight, richness,
joy, full of life, and more abundantly. The other does lament, weeping, sorrow,
pain, and more desperately. Hear the cry of Prophet Isaiah for repentance and the
change of heart.
“But concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held
out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’” (Romans 10:21)
Prayer: Loving compassionate Father in heaven, thank you for
your open arm and stretched hands for disobedient and stubborn people like us
to repent and come unto him and have life in full and more abundantly. In Christ’s
name. Amen.
November 10, 2015
© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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