The Love Over Me that Gathers Together

A little figurine that sits in my kitchen window reminding me of my childhood.

 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens, under her wings, and  you would not!  Matthew 23:37(AKJV)

What an analogy our Lord Jesus Christ makes!  He compares Himself to a hen.

To grasp the full extent of this analogy, you need to have observed a mother hen with her chicks.

Until I was 10 years old, we lived in a whitewashed shotgun house beside a corn field with chickens cooped in the backyard.  My sister, Margaret, and I gathered the eggs before school.  We had up-close encounters with the biddies, mama hens, and roosters for years.  I could tell you some stories, but that’s for another time.

If you have a minute, watch this short video courtesy of YouTube:

 

I am struck by the fact that Jesus compares himself to a mother hen—a creature that scratches the dirt.  Not a mighty eagle, a majestic bird of prey that soars and lives high in the sky.  A hen is a humble creature that lives in the dust.  I’ve seen a mother hen cover her chicks with her body.  She outstretches her wings and gently guides them under.  She tenderly claims her brood, yet she’s fiercely protective.  You learn this lesson, if you’ve ever been chased by chickens or rooster.

God allows us to know Him through His son Jesus Christ, who delights to do the will of His Father.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Through the Scriptures we can discern the truth about Jesus’ nature, which is like the Father’s.  Over and over we see the love He has for us.

Christ lived out that love—He laid down His life for us.

This is my commandment, That  you love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:12, 13

By using this simple comparison, Jesus reveals how He cares for us. 

And he would have gathered them together.

Christ desires unity for us with Him and one another like that between Himself and God.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  John 17: 21

And indeed, such unity would be divinely inspired.  The greatest of these is love.

Love is the fulfilling of the law.  Romans13:10b

For me, the analogy of the hen and her chicks is a picture of God’s love, and the love He desires us to have in the body of Christ.  To illustrate His love, Jesus didn’t hesitate to show Himself meek.

Oh the love He has for us, that he would humble himself so low to claim us for His own.  But indeed, Jesus did say, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. (Matthew 5:5)

Similar style house I lived in by the cornfield -- except

ours was white on a dirt road with oak trees in front

 

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God today.  God bless you today with His love and protection over you.

Be sure to come back on Monday for my guest author and our monthly book give-away.