“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).

I have been known to express my joy when all my chicks (my sons and their families) are together with me, like a hen with all her chicks under her wings. What a beautiful passage, spoken by Jesus, to his beloved Jerusalem. Despite the unwillingness of the people of Israel, despite their unfaithfulness, Jesus longs for them. Likewise, He longs to cover us with His love, just like a hen covers her chicks under her wings.

An ancient Near Eastern custom involved covering someone with the corner of a garment. In Hebrew, the word for “corner or edge of a garment” can also be translated as a “bird’s wing.” Our Tuesday Bible study recently finished a study of the book of Ruth, where this practice appears. In Ruth 3:4, Naomi tells Ruth to go to Boaz at night: “But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” Ruth obeys, and in Ruth 3:9 she says to Boaz, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings (the corner of your garment) over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”

This custom was meant to symbolize that Ruth was asking for marriage; in other words, she was asking Boaz, as her nearest male relative (known at that time as a guardian-redeemer), to covenant with her for protection and provision under the marriage contract. This custom is a picture of the relationship of Jesus as Redeemer with His Church. The church is the Bride of Christ, and as believers, we are members of the church. In seeking this covenantal relationship with Jesus, we are asking for that same covering of salvation, protection, and protection. As believers, like Ruth, we seek this beautiful relationship, and Jesus longs for it. In fact, earlier in the Book of Ruth, verse 2:12, Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and may a full reward be given to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

What is important to note about this relationship is our willingness to seek and to receive Jesus. He is ready, willing, even longing for us to accept His gift of salvation, the covering of His wings; but we must take the step of receiving this gift. When you are sad, feeling lost and alone, know that Jesus longs for you to rest, relax, and seek relief under the wings of His protection. As King David wrote and modeled: “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (Psalm 61:4).

In Christ,

Judy