Sermon for 2nd Sunday of Lent: Go tell that Fox!

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent

Genesis 15: 1 - 6

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield,

your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Luke 13: 31 - 35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

“Go tell that fox…”

Jesus is referring to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great.

We usually remember his father, Herod the Great, as the king responsible for the slaughter of the innocents – the bloody massacre of all the young boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem made in an attempt to kill the 'child born to be King' heralded by the Wise Men. Herod the Great was remembered in his own time as a merciless tyrant who maintained his rule through political assassination, including of members of his own family, and who engaged in colossal building projects. Herod earned the name ‘Great’ because he was feared. He must have been a hard act to follow, sons of great men often struggle to assert themselves, indeed ‘Antipas’, which is probably a sort of nickname, may well mean ‘not his father’ – carrying a meaning something like, ‘Herod but not great like his father.’

So, not an easy start for Herod Anticlimax ( I mean Antipas ), owing his rule to Rome, and for that reason resented by the population as a traitor, and following on from a ruthless but highly effective tyrant. It was Herod Antipas who had John the Baptist beheaded, the story presenting to us a king who vacillates over the decision about what to do with John, and then losses control of the situation through his rash and lust inspired promise to Salome.

Note - it is the Pharisees who warn Jesus that Herod is plotting to kill him, the Pharisees were no friends of Jesus but perhaps even they would rather see Jesus live than allow Herod to get his way.

The threat to Jesus from Herod was one to be taken seriously, although Rome retained control over the death sentence Herod had the means to have Jesus killed either by accusing him of a crime carrying the death penalty, or by an extrajudicial killing. Either way the Romans would probably not be that interested in the death of a local holy man, so long as it did not disturb the peace. Herod Antipas may have been weak willed but he did have the means to deploy deadly force, and he did have a history of using it for his own political ends.

I read recently that the characteristics we associate with the fox were not the ones associated with foxes in first century Palestine. We think of the fox as cunning and wily, but in first century Palestine they had more serious predators to contend with, including lions and bears, so the fox by contrast was regarded as a silly little creature. When Jesus called Herod Antipas ‘that fox’ it was not a comment suggesting wiliness, but rather suggesting insignificance. The comment, it seems to me, is satirical. It is a bit like saying, ‘go tell that that ball of fur…’

Jesus could have called on the armies of heaven to come to his defence, but as we know, that was not Jesus’ way. Being a vulnerable human being was fundamental to his mission. So the threat to Jesus was real, but he was not afraid. He tells the Pharisees that he must be on his way, Galilee is not his goal, Jerusalem is, even though he knows the dangers of going to Jerusalem,‘…the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!’

Even then Jesus does not express fear, instead he laments for that city, recognising the pain from which the violence flows, and longing to bring healing, he says, ‘How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!’

In the face of violance, Jesus demonstrates compassion not fear.

Jesus taught his disciples not to fear.

Jesus said, ‘do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’, and he told his disciples, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’

All through the bible God encourages His followers not to be afraid, in our first reading we heard God speaking to Abraham, telling him that despite his age and childlessness he would become the father of a great nation. God reassures him, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” Abraham responds with faith not fear, and we read God ‘credited it to him as righteousness’

This is not just wishful thinking; Christianity brings light into dark places, it doesn’t deny that the darkness exists. Christianity is hope for hard times as well as for good.

It is not that God will spare us difficult times, it that He will see us through if we follow His way. As the Psalmist writes, ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.’

Jesus is the good shepherd who leads us through the dark valleys, the dark valleys that he himself walked, along the path that leads to Jerusalem, and to the cross - and ultimately to the day of resurrection.

Fear causes us to lose sight of the good shepherd, to concentrate on the darkness instead of the light…

Fear tells us that the nasty, twisted Herod’s of this world are out to get us, Jesus tell us that ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’

Fear tells us that to be respected we must be aggressive and dominant; Jesus tells us that the meek will inherit the earth.

Fear tells us that we must run from our problems, Jesus says, ‘…tell that fox…I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish my work.’

Fear shrieks kill the prophets, throw stones at the messengers, but Jesus says, ‘how often have I desired to gather you… as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!’

Given the times in which we live it would be easy to be afraid, these are uncertain and violent times, did you imagine that Tyrants were consigned to the pages of history? Perhaps we forget that human history has often been characterised by fear and violence, and at times humanity has faced greater challenges. Faith carries us through, fear defeats us.

Freedom must be won, and re-won.

Our little rural churches can seem beset with difficulties, but they have withstood world wars, religious revolutions, civil war, plagues, Viking raiders and hundreds of years of storm and frost. They are symbols in weathered stone of the values that endure.

The difficulties that we face, in our lives, in our communities, in our times, are not imagined, they are real, just as the threat to Jesus from Herod was real, but we should not let fear turn us from the truth. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, through the life of Jesus He has shown His love for us, and through the resurrection has made known His sovereign power over all darkness. If we walk the way of Jesus, the way of love and forgiveness, then we can walk in God’s power through difficult times, and we will see the day of victory. In fact if we walk in the light of Christ we see the Kingdom of Heaven around about us, shining in the darkness, and our souls are encouraged.

Walk in faith not in fear, then if fear does turn up, like the Pharisees all self-important and deadly serious, warning you of a horrid monster, then say – ‘Go tell that fox I am about my master’s business this day and tomorrow, and on the third day we will finish our work together.’

On the third day Christ did accomplish his work, his work that can save us from all fear.

Amen.