The Fox and the Hen
When I hear someone called a fox, I don’t think of a sly predator. I think of Tod from The Fox and the Hound or Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy Lady. But when Jesus calls Herod Antipas a fox, it’s no compliment. It’s an indictment.
Herod wields his power and authority to serve himself—grasping, scheming, silencing threats. When he hears about Jesus, his instinct isn’t curiosity but insecurity. Not investigation, but control: kill him. Jesus, by contrast, likens himself to a mother hen, gathering her chicks under her wings—even as the fox closes in. One rules by fear, the other by love. One takes life, the other lays his down.
And here’s the thing: we all have power—however small. In our families, our work, our daily interactions. And sometimes, like Herod, we wield it out of fear—grasping, controlling, protecting our own image because we feel threatened. But the contrast between Herod and Jesus isn’t primarily a lesson in leadership. It’s first and foremost good news. Because our mother hen spread her wings not just for the chicks, but for the foxes too. For Herod. For us.1
I’m using the same title that The Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan used for his reflection on this Sunday’s reading because it’s so good!