The white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is fearful of being late and rushes down a hole in a panic. But Jesus is not to be panicked into acting in a hurry (vs 31,32)! A lot is going on here. There’s Herod, the politically minded, pompous puppet king (v 31) who is prepared to murder prophets – he has already had the head of John the Baptist delivered on a plate. There is Jerusalem, over which Jesus weeps, longing to bring comfort like a mother hen, yet knowing that Jerusalem will refuse his invitation and also doesn’t hesitate to murder prophets (v 34). And over-arching it all, there’s God’s timing and planning, meaning that Jesus will continue on as before (v 32), using the time allotted by God both for his ministry and for his death and resurrection. Jesus was following the divine plan to rescue the world, and he was not going to speed it up or cut it short just because Herod threatened him. 

It underlines the importance of why he came and why he died. Of the utter significance of the foreordained design. And so Jesus longs for everyone to respond to his call (vs 29,34b). Don’t panic, but on the other hand, it’s an urgent call, because the time is limited (vs 25,35). 

‘God is looking for willing hearts … God has no favourites. You do not have to be special, but you have to be available.’¹

Today’s passage emphasises the bravery and tenderness of Jesus. His response to the Pharisees’ warning is clear – it is God who is determining and directing his life, not Herod or the Pharisees; and his mission will continue to unfold according to God’s timing and plan. Jesus will not be dissuaded from his ministry or his ultimate goal. His focus and persistence are examples for us to emulate.

Jesus then focuses on the city of Jerusalem itself. As Israel’s largest city and its political and spiritual capital, this city symbolised the entire nation. Though Jews from around the world frequently visited it, the city had a long and tragic history of rejecting and killing God’s prophets;² Jesus was to suffer the same fate.

Though Jesus is fully aware of this, he shows remarkable affection towards the city in a rare display of emotion and longing. This points to the idea that Jesus had visited Jerusalem more than the synoptic Gospels indicate.³ There is nothing which hurts so much as to offer love to someone and have that offer rejected. It seems clear that Jesus is heartbroken by the way the Jews of Jerusalem have rejected him, yet he still continues to offer his vulnerable love. The image of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings is a very tender and emotive one. However, those who persist in rejecting the love of God are in the end in danger of the wrath of God, as Jesus makes clear in his warning.

‘Yet you were not willing’ is one of the most tragic lines in the Bible. We can choose how we will respond to Jesus’ loving invitation to us. Choose a willing and available heart today.

¹ Winkie Pratney, b 1944  ² 1 Kings 19:10; 2 Chr 24:19; Jer 2:30; 26:20–23  ³ Cf John 2:13; 4:45; 5:1; 7:10; 10:22