Under My Wings: Jesus' Motherly Love: Matthew 23:37–39

Abstract

Matthew's emphasis on the royal identity and mission of Jesus is framed predominantly in the masculine imagery of kingship. In dramatic contrast to the traditional gender and power roles associated with kingship, Jesus' lament over Jerusalem recorded in Matt 23:37–39 draws upon the feminine image of a hen offering protection to her chicks. A brief survey of Hebrew canonical and extracanonical literature explores an array of feminine images attributed to God as the one who births, nurses, and carries God's children. Particular attention is given to the motif of maternal protection and support granted to those who come under God's wings. Appealing to this imagery in his lamentation, Jesus expresses both his offer of motherly care to Jerusalem's children and a warning of the disaster coming upon them because they have rejected him in the same way that they have rejected all God's messengers. Jesus' invitation to be gathered under his wings has deep resonance with Israel's longed for gathering of their scattered nation. Jerusalem's children have not only turned away from Jesus but from their own most cherished hope. Like a mother, Jesus weeps over the disastrous choices his wayward children have made and the destruction they will incur.