Explanation of the scripture verse - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37)."There is a moment in the Savior's ministry that does not look like power. He stands over Jerusalem — the city of the prophets, the city of the temple, the city that would in a few days hand Him over to be crucified — and He does not pronounce judgment. He grieves. He says that He would have gathered them the way a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. Warm. Safe. Hidden from the hawk. It is a mother's image, a sheltering image, and He uses it for Himself. The chicks would not come. That is the wound at the center of the image — not the hen's failure but the chicks' refusal. He was willing. He is always willing. The wings are still open.  He is not telling a story about a hen. He is being one."