Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We join Jesus in Perea the land east of the Jordan River. Jesus has been preaching and teaching in the lands outside of Galilee and Judea. Perhaps he was trying to avoid intervention by the Jewish authorities as He taught His disciples, we can't say for certain. We do know that this land was governed by Herod Antipas. Herod was not fond of anything or anyone that may upset his power and standing with Rome.

As you may remember Herod didn't like John the Baptist for criticizing his marriage to his brother's wife, Herodias. John gave Herod a little heartburn for calling on him and others to repent. Although John was imprisoned Herod was reluctant to kill John for fear of an uprising. In the end it was the trickery of his wife Herodias that had John beheaded.

Herod was perplexed by what he was hearing about Jesus, thinking that perhaps this was John the Baptist raised from the dead. What we don't know is whether Herod ever really threatened to kill Jesus, or if the Pharisees were attempting to drive Jesus toward Jerusalem where they could arrest Him, or both.

Jesus responds to the Pharisees calling Herod a fox. Indeed Herod was a crafty and ruthless individual. Herod kept a careful balance between controlling the people and appeasing the Romans. John and Jesus made that task more precarious because any action taken against John and Jesus could trigger unrest and an unwelcome visit by the Roman military.

In that response Jesus uses some interesting language, today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. In the very next verse He follows up with today and tomorrow and the next day, for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem. The phrases could be prophetic inferences to the passion in just a few months from then. Perhaps the real meaning is not that Herod nor do the Jewish authorities have control over the coming events. God is controlling the time and place of the coming suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jerusalem the seat of Jewish power for centuries before the exile and after the return from Babylon was the place many prophets suffered. As we read in the Old Testament Jeremiah warned Jerusalem of the coming destruction if they did not change their ways. Jeremiah was threatened with death for speaking the words of God. Knowing his predicament Jeremiah in effect said don't shoot the messenger, I bring you God's warning.

Jerusalem was no different than any center of power that was or is criticized for taking the wrong path. Radical change and messages are often attacked by the seat of power. Most often the result is violence. In the days Jesus this was a given, the Romans thought nothing of using military force to quell opposition. The Jewish authorities also showed little regard for the common people. In the midst of these oppressive authorities is Jesus preaching a message of hope that sounded very threatening to the authorities.

The lament of Jesus over Jerusalem is perhaps the most telling part of this reading. His words take on a divine nature. He laments how often I have longed to gather your children together. The lament sounds like a saddened father trying repeatedly to correct his wayward children. Perhaps He is thinking; over the ages I have sent many prophets but you have ignored them, you have turned them away, you have even killed them. Yet I still want to care for you.

Later on Jesus will tell the parable of the wicked tenants. A landowner who planted a vineyard rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time came, he sent his servants to collect his share of the fruit. The tenants beat one servant, killed another, and stoned a third. Then the landowner sent other servants and they were treated the same way. Last he sent his son to them believing they would respect him. The tenants instead killed the son. The parable echoes Jesus' lament over Jerusalem.

Yet I still want to care for you. As a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Even if you have injured and killed my prophets and even kill me, yet I still want to care for you. If Jerusalem and the authorities can be cared for then certainly you can care for me.

How often have I turned away? How often have You kept a warm place under Your wing for me? You gently spread-out Your arms and draw me in despite the heartache and pain I caused You and others.

How often do we reflect on that image of Jesus? During Lent that is the image we may want to reflect on. Jesus on a cross battered and bruised breathing His last and yet trying to reaching out to hug us as though the sins causing His pain never happened.

As we approach Easter our image of Christ is transformed from one bound to a cross to one of freedom from bondage. That transformation is in us as well we have been freed. We are to be in the world but not of it. Setting an example living a pattern as Paul says so that others can be led to the freedom in the resurrection. The pattern is to know longer turn away, but to share in the joy of forgiveness.

In the name of our risen Lord and savior Jesus Christ, Amen.