Jesus is so bad ass!  What courage, what confidence!  He is no wimp.  I am in love with him again.  Try to picture this scene.  Can you imagine Jesus speaking in anger to the Pharisees with one hand on hip, the other pointing in Herod’s direction, “[You], go and tell that  #@&*?…”  Well, Jesus wouldn’t use an expletive, like I implied.  Instead, he used the word ‘fox’ to accurately describe King Herod because a fox is cunning and sly, a predator, a killer.

In the passage of Luke’s Gospel 13:31-35, the Pharisees warn Jesus to leave Jerusalem because Herod wants to kill him.  This warning is insincere because they, along with Herod, would like to see Jesus’ mission fail.  Jesus knows this, he is no fool.  He has a message of his own for Herod and goes on to say, “Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.”  Jesus will not be thwarted in his mission, even though he knows it will lead to his suffering and death

Jesus further goes on with his insult and says, “…it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem,” referring to the prophets before him who were killed in Jerusalem.  After all this, Jesus then becomes tender and laments over Jerusalem.  He cries out in anguish, “…how many times have I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!  Behold, your house will be abandoned.  But, I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord.'”

I am totally in love!