Jesus never

compared himself to a member of the animal kingdom except on one occasion

and to only one animal. Others have referred to Jesus as the Lion of Judah

and we understand that. But, Jesus only used the metaphor of a mother

hen to refer to himself.

Calling out

to the inhabitants of the Holy City Jerusalem, Jesus commented, "How

often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers

her brood under her wings and you would not have it"(Luke 13:34).

I think it's

interesting that Jesus refers to himself as a chicken and a chicken of

the female gender. Of course, the male dominated church is having a bad

case of spiritual hiccups right about now, saying, "How dare that

man associate our Lord with a female chicken!"

Hey, there,

I didn't do it. Jesus did it himself.

Jesus was reaching

out to the confused and oppressed people of Jerusalem offering himself

as one who would nurture them if they would come to him. Jesus wanted

to nurture folks then and even now. Nurture! Nurture is a highly respected

word, but a seldom done word. It's one of the words, when used, that causes

social workers to raise their eyebrows and say, "oh yes." But,

when it gets down to the plain nurturing of the populace, much goes lacking.

Think about

that mother hen. She is there on the spot when her little chicks are in

danger. When something is heading after her little ones, she is there

to gather them, spread her wings over them, and double-dog dare anyone

to come close.

That's what

Jesus wanted to be to the people of Jerusalem: something like a mother

hen. He would run after them. Didn't he say if a shepherd had 100 sheep

and one went astray, the good shepherd would leave the 99 and go find

the one lost sheep? That's the way Jesus operated. One is important to

him, then and now.

Jesus was a

protector. When the whole town wanted to stone to death this woman caught

in the very act of adultery by the city's spiritual giants, Jesus was

the one to spread his protection over her and dare anyone to throw a single

stone.

When all was

said and almost all done, Jesus allowed himself to be nailed to a cross

and endured the death of a criminal. Why? So, his little chicks that's

you and me would be free from the fright of death.

More than any

mother, Jesus was a nurturer. Not only was he the king of kings, but also

he was the king of love. And, nobody ever loved or cared for anyone like

Jesus. He invited the children to jump into his lap. He laughed and carried

on with them. He touched the lepers (it would have been like touching

AIDS patients 15 years ago). He was so very genuine in his expressions

of joy and kindness. Nobody nurtured anybody like Jesus.

So what? What

are you trying to say to me, John? What I am saying is that you, too,

can be a nurturer like Jesus. Mother Teresa, one of the most famous non-biological

mothers of the 20th Century, gave some good advice about getting along

in this thing of nurturing. Let's read and heed: Spread love everywhere

you go, first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to

your wife or husband, to the next door neighbor ... Let no one ever come

to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of

God's kindness; in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your

smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

John

Hatcher is pastor of

Outreach International

Center

1091 South Jeff Davis

Drive

Fayetteville, Georgia

30215

770-719-0303

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