Chicken salad. Chicken tenders. Chicken Parmesan. Chicken enchiladas. There’s lots of good in a chicken, no matter how we prepare it.
More power to the chicken!
Yet the lowly (and very scrumptious) feathered fowl is much more than a tidbit for our tasting pleasure. The Bible gives three significant revelations that divulge the chicken to be God’s bird of choice in revealing his love for us.
1st Chicken Revelation:
Even when we are in opposition to Christ, he still wishes us to be his children, gathered in his arms, and held as his beloved offspring. Matthew 23:37 tells us:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
Jerusalem was anti-Christ, against everything and everyone God sent to set her back on the path towards God, yet God loved her more than any other city. Each individual human is the same. No matter our attitude towards God, he continually draws us unto him, showering his love on us all the while.
2nd Chicken Revelation:
Just to be alive is at times difficult. We wake to days that must be jump-started with coffee, and if we make it to lunch, we feel elated. Our elation is sourced in Psalm 91:4:
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”
No matter how hot the sun, he is our shade. The attacks of the devil may buffet us, but his wings wrap around us. He is our steady rock and eternal protection that will never fail.
3rd Chicken Revelation:
Christ understands our foibles. Are we prone to anger? God knows, and he loves us anyway. He has a thumb on who we are. Read in Luke 22:34:
“Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.’ ”
Jesus wasn’t dismayed by Peter’s denial. He loved him even as he knew his failings. Jesus feels the same towards us. He doesn’t want us to sleep in on Sunday mornings, but he understands. Jesus knew all about who Peter was, the worst things about him, and still he loved him. Surely Jesus loves us as much, even when we show our human side time after time.
Chickens. They’re good for lunch, but more importantly, they reveal how loved we are by our almighty God. We’ve become Chicken Florentine, topped with bacon bits and mozzarella, and the whole world will want what we have to offer.
Christ takes what’s ordinary, and he makes it extraordinary through the power of his Name.
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