The Nest Egg

Matthew 23:37 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

In this Scripture reading, Jesus laments over Jerusalem's wickedness.  In a beautiful picture of grace, Jesus uses a word picture of how He wishes, like a mother hen, to protect and provide for His people.  He wanted to provide comfort and warmth and security - and yet they were unwilling.

This illustration is driven home (literally) each day on Our Maker's Acres Family Farm.  As I gathered eggs in the barn Sunday afternoon, a broody hen sitting on her nest caught my attention.  This hen sits on her eggs and objects to our moving her out of the way to collect them.  She desires to hatch out her little chicks instead of her eggs becoming our breakfast.  She fluffs out her feathers to make herself look larger and more formidable than she actually is.  She makes mean noises to frighten us away.  If we're still undeterred by her objections, she'll peck at our hands with her beak.

There are times in which we'll relent, and allow the hens to set and hatch out her little ones.  The baby chicks soon follow behind her, learning to scratch and peck at bits of grain on the ground, imitating their momma.  They'll often stray, but the momma hen's clucking guides them to safety under her protective wings.  Sometimes one or two will dart through the fence and find themselves separated from the hen.  She dutifully scurries to their rescue, scolding them until they are back beneath her.

It is often sad to find that one day there are four baby chicks following the momma and the next day there are only three - one lost to a predator who was successful in separating them!  It reminds me of the old hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," in which one of the verses says,

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it, With thy Spirit from above."

Aren't we often like that roaming, wandering chick who refuses protection because we are proud, headstrong, stiff-necked?  ... The verse ends, sorrowfully, with "Yet you were unwilling..."  May we be willing to fall under the protection and watchcare of our Savior.

May we be willing...