Luke
13:31-35 – Refuse to flee from your enemies
Herod Antipas, who had killed John the Baptist because
John had reproved him for his sin with Herodias, now, finds an even greater
enemy in Jesus Christ. But Jesus is resolute: God, not Herod will determine the
time and place of His death. Jesus will give His life in Jerusalem, the site of
the temple, where God dwelt with His people and desired their true worship,
though few of them rendered it. The Gospel tells of Jesus’ great love for His
people, as He laments over Jerusalem, and also teaches us to refuse to flee
from your enemies.
Some Pharisees, apparently in a friendly gesture
towards Jesus, come to warn him that Herod has set his mind to killing Jesus.
As Jesus makes it clear that he will not change or give up his ministry in fear
of Herod, he calls the Galilean tetrarch a “fox.”
The term “fox”
is not strange to us; for we still use it in referring to a sly or clever or
cunning person. However, in Jesus’ day, the term referred to someone who was
unimportant; it was a term of contempt, much as we would call someone today a “fool.”
Note the symmetry in today’s lesson. The progress from
specific hostility toward Jesus; (from Herod), to the general hostility toward
Jesus (from Jerusalem). The direction is from small to lard; from an individual
to a group. In addition, it moves from the jurisdiction in which Jesus’ death
would not occur (Herod’s) to the jurisdiction in which Jesus’ death would occur
(Jerusalem.)
Notice Jesus’ calm determination to carry out His work
no matter what dangers exist. He will be the same; “yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
Note also Jesus’ awareness that his work is
programmed, “scheduled,” that there
is a pattern behind it climaxing “on the third day” in the accomplishment of his
goal. “I shall be perfected” (KJV)”I shall finish my work.” (ESV)
Finally, notice Jesus’ sense of urgency over the
brevity of the time remaining to Him. “I
must work while it is day.”
[1] A Prayer for times of affliction and distress, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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