Luke 13:31-35

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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • "Temple and Jesus," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
  • IV.XLI.3, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • I.5, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • On the Lord's Prayer -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 252)
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "Literally, "the nest": now the brood of chickens is the nest."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary (c. 1700).
    • "The wickedness of persons and places which more than others profess religion and relation to God, especially displeases and grieves the Lord Jesus."
  • From Wesley's Notes. John Wesley (1703-1791).
    • "On the third day he left Galilee, and set out for Jerusalem, to die there. But let us carefully distinguish between those things wherein Christ is our pattern, and those which were peculiar to his office. His extraordinary office justified him in using that severity of language, when speaking of wicked princes, and corrupt teachers, to which we have no call; and by which we should only bring scandal on religion, and ruin on ourselves, while we irritated rather than convinced or reformed those whom we so indecently rebuked."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • ""He seeks to kill me, does he? Ah! I must be out of Herod's jurisdiction for that. Go tell him I neither fly from him nor fear him, but Jerusalem is the prophets' slaughter-house.""
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "Herod's most marked characteristic was unscrupulous cunning. The Lord uses the term to indicate that he understood the scheme. It was an artifice of Herod and the Pharisees to get him away. Herod was afraid to kill him on account of his popularity."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Commentary, Luke 13:31-35 (Lent 2C), Arland J. Hultgren, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "Who or what is the 'Jerusalem' of the day in which one lives? Is it the political and civic sphere? Is it the religious sphere? Or is it both?"
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Strong and Tender," commentary by Kate Huey at i.ucc.org: Sermon Seeds, lectionary citations, weekly theme, lectionary texts, bulletin back page.
    • "Richard Swanson observes that "Herod (in any century) has always found allies among people of faith" (Provoking the Gospel of Luke), and we remember, for example, that "good" Christians owned slaves not so long ago, and today make decisions for the sake of things like "national security" (remember the fear of insecurity in Herod?) that would make Jesus weep over us in anguished lament."
  • "First Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Lent 2, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "These few verses are rich in historical allusions. They invite us to participate in the movement for freedom and salvation in a world where individuals and communities are governed by other powers."
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
    • "The image we are give is of God/Jesus as a hen gathering a whole bunch of chickens under her wings. What might that imply about our relationship with those other chickens?"
  • Exegesis, Russell Pregeant, Lectionary Homiletics sample.
    • "The supreme irony is that the city that houses the Temple and is supposed to bind God’s chosen people together has given itself over not to wisdom but iniquity by rejecting God’s emissaries."
  • Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2010.
    • "The Greek word thelo appears three times in the lection.  The word means 'will, desire, want, wish.'  In the first usage, Herod 'wishes' to kill Jesus.  In the second, Jesus 'wished' to gather the children of Jerusalem under his wing.  In the third, those children 'did not desire' it.  The 'desires' of Herod, Jerusalem, and Jesus are conflicted and in competition with each other."
  • "Wide Open Are Your Arms," Mary Hinkle, Pilgrim Preaching: Keeping Company with Biblical Texts and the People Who Hear and Preach Them.
    • "A thought experiment: read through the gospel text substituting the name of your town for 'Jerusalem' wherever it appears."
  • "Exegetical Considerations," 2nd Sunday in Lent, Richard Carlson, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Using Greek for Sunday Text Preparations.
  • First Look: Luke 13:31-35, Lee Koontz, Reflectious, 2010.
    • "It is an extraordinary statement on the grace of God, and also a compelling proclamation that no place stands exempt from God’s tender compassion and persistent love.  Those who seek to follow Jesus must learn to view the world with no less compassion, no less forgiveness, and no less love."
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Luke 13:31-35, David Ewart, 2010.
    • "I'd be curious to know if 'fox' in Jesus' day might be closer to 'weasel' or 'rat' in our day. Certainly, Herod was a collaborator with the Romans."
  • "A Regretful Pharisee," Sarah M. Foulger, Stirred by the Light - Voices of Lent.
    • "Are you ready to abandon everything else you’ve ever learned and lean on the wisdom, grace, and instruction Jesus continues to offer freely."
  • "Jesus' Lament over Jerusalem," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
    • "Jerusalem becomes a symbol of a city or civilization that repeatedly rejects the prophets and messengers that the Lord God sends to that city."
  • Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion, Luke 13:31-35, Wesley White. "A place of conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
    • "It would be interesting to begin taking this last line about blessing and applying it to a series of other scenes in the scriptures and in our lives."
  • "Conflicting Desires," Expository Essay, Luke 13:31-35, Dr. William R. Long. Part 2.
    • "There is always a tension in the history of religions and in biblical faith, that the prophet, the one who speaks the challenging Word of God to a situation, both speaks the truth and suffers for it."
  • Lectionary Commentary and Preaching Paths (Lent C2), by Jirair Tashjian, at The Christian Resource Institute.
    • "This text provides an opportunity to address the problem of religious prejudice that arises out of preconceived notions and stereotypical generalizations."
  • Laterally Luke, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
  • "The Godforsaken City," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
    • "We may be privileged to share in the life of a Biblical church, but this should not lessen our critical view, nor our responsibility to warn our brothers and sisters of the danger of apostasy."
  • "Second Sunday in Lent: Luke 13:31-35," For the Renewal of Repentance: The Lukan Texts for Lent, Gary M. Simpson, Texts in Context, Word & World, Luther Northwestern Theological School, 1992.
    • "The empowering which we need in order to renew our repentance comes from the enervating which God suffered on the cross."
  • "No Turning Back," Jennifer M. Ginn, The Christian Century, 2004.
    • "Lent challenges us to try."
  • "As A Hen Gathers Her Brood," Barbara Brown Taylor, The Christian Century, 1995.
    • "If you have ever loved someone you could not protect, then you understand the depth of Jesus’ lament. All you can do is open your arms. You cannot make anyone walk into them. Meanwhile, this is the most vulnerable posture in the world --wings spread, breast exposed -- but if you mean what you say, then this is how you stand."
• Articles & Background:
  • "Jesus' Death in Q," by David Seeley. From NTS 38 (1992) 222-34.
    • "Q 13:34-35 refers to the deaths of the prophets alone. These verses imply that Q may have understood Jesus' death in terms of the deaths of the prophets."
  • "That Small-Fry Herod Antipas, Or When a Fox Is Not a Fox," Randall Buth, Jerusalem Perspective Online.
    • "When Jesus labeled Herod a fox, Jesus implied that Herod was not a lion. Herod considered himself a lion, but Jesus pointed out that Herod was the opposite of a lion. Jesus cut Herod down to size, and Jesus' audience may have had an inward smile of appreciation at a telling riposte."
  • "'Our Mother who art in Heaven' -- challenging dominant masculinity," Wanjiru Kariuki, Online Journal, 2006. African perspective.
    • "Thanks, in particular, to the critical effort of the pamphlet, The War against Women, which has managed to bring to the surface the dominance of male language used in reference to God, that would have largely gone unnoticed, gender consciousness in the church has begun."
  • "The Feminist Critique of God-Language," Neil Gillman, MyJewishLearning.com. Reprinted from Jewish Lights.
  • "Jerusalem as Jesus Views It," Calvin E. Shenk, Christianity Today, 1998.
    • "How can Christians be an authentic presence in Jerusalem? Surely the living Christian community (the temple of Jesus) is of greater significance than the Temple Mount. Community-centered faith is more important than site-centered faith."
  • "Theology and the City: Learning to Cry, Struggling to See," Jim Perkinson, Cross Currents, 2001.
    • "To love oppressors in particular, or sinful human beings in general, is to have continual hope for them that they will stop their oppressing and sinning before they do harm to others and to themselves. To understand Jesus' death too quickly as part of a divine plan worked out totally in advance is, in fact, to give up too quickly on the potential for responsibility on the part of those who are the most powerful, or really on the part of any of us."
  • "The Changing Role of Women in the Early Christian World," Howard Clark Kee, University of Pennsylvania. Theology Today, 1992.
    • "If the church in our time were to take with full seriousness the radical openness toward women and their participation in the life of God's people that characterized the movement at the outset, it could result in a significant contribution toward renewal of both the church and the human race."
  • "Blurring the Boundaries: A Response to Howard C. Kee," Virginia Burrus, The Theological School at Drew University. Theology Today, 1992.
    • "...a blurring of religious or cultural boundaries in our historical reconstructions may cut against the smugness that frequently creeps into Christian discussions of Judaism and other religious traditions. The roots of a distinctive Christian feminism would appear to be entangled in Jewish and pagan traditions, rather than emerging in pure and radical opposition to those traditions. Second, a blurring of chronological boundaries in our historical reconstructions may cut against the tendency to locate orthodox or authentic Christianity almost purely in a statically defined "golden age" of the distant past. After all, how liberating is it for Christian women to be invited to focus exclusively on "the insights of Jesus and Paul"?"
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  • Burrus, Virginia, "Blurring the Boundaries: A Response to Howard C. Kee," Theology Today, 1992.
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  • Ginn, Jennifer M., "No Turning Back," The Christian Century, 2004.
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  • Kee, Howard Clark, "The Changing Role of Women in the Early Christian World," Theology Today, 1992.
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  • Miller, Robert J., "The Rejection of the Prophets in Q," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1988.
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  • Moessner, David P., "'The Christ Must Suffer': New Light on the Jesus - Peter, Stephen, Paul Parallels in Luke-Acts," Novum Testamentum, 1986.
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  • Perkinson, Jim, "Theology and the City: Learning to Cry, Struggling to See," Cross Currents, 2001.
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  • Reid, Robert Stephen, "On Preaching 'Fictive Argument': a Reader-Response Look at a Lukan Parable and Three Sayings on Discipleship," Restoration Quarterly, 2001.
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  • Rochelle, Jay Cooper, "When Prayer Is All You Have," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1995.
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  • Shirock, Robert J., "The Growth of the Kingdom in light of Israel's Rejection of Jesus: Structure and Theology in Luke 13:1-35," Novum Testamentum, 1993.
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  • Simmons, Elizabeth McGregor, "The Sense of Text: An Invitation to Lenten Preaching," Journal for Preachers, 2004.
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  • Simpson, Gary M., "For the Renewal of Repentance: The Lukan Texts for Lent," Word & World, 1992.
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  • Smith, Daniel A., "Revisiting the Empty Tomb: the Post-Mortem Vindication of Jesus in Mark and Q," Novum Testamentum, 2003.
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  • Somerville, James C., "By Our Love," The Christian Century, 1998.
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  • Tannehill, Robert C., "Israel in Luke-Acts: A Tragic Story," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1985.
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  • Taylor, Barbara Brown, "As a Hen Gathers Her Brood," The Christian Century, 1995.
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  • Thomas, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: John 13:31-35," Harvey Thomas, Restoration Quarterly, 2007.
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  • Weinert, Francis D., "Luke, the Temple and Jesus' Saying about Jerusalem's Abandoned House (Luke 13:34-35)," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1982.
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• Reviews:
  • Review: Morten Hørning Jensen, Herod Antipas in Galilee: The Literary and Archaeological Source on the Reign of Herod Antipas and Its Socio-economic Impact on Galilee. Mohr Siebeck, 2006. Review by Mark A. Chancey, 2007.
• Sermons:
  • "God Longs for Us," the Rev. Dr. James B. Lemler, Day 1, 2007.
  • Lent 1, 4 March, 2007, Goettinger Predigten: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors:
    • "Baring Our Breast for the Foxes," David Zersen
    • "The Fox and The Hen," Hubert Beck
  • "Violence: A Rising National Epidemic," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
  • "In the Thick of Crisis!" John Jewell, 1998.
  • "Jerusalem at the End of Modernity Part II," the Rt. Rev. John Bayton, Day 1, 1996.
• With Children:
  • "Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "The Mother Hen," children's sermon, coloring page. Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons 4 Kids.
• Drama:
  • "A Millstone," from A Certain Jesus by Jose Ignacio and Maria Lopez Vigil. Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel. Claretian Publications.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
• Hymns and Music:
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Luke 13:34. The Cyber Hymnal.
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Jerusalem
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Redemption
  • Mother figures
• Find Worship Resources & Suggested Other Readings for use with this text:
  • Lent 2C
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Luke