Don’t be a Chicken

They love me so much!

At the slightest sound of the back door opening, they come running! They are sprinting so fast, arms pumping at their sides to help them gain even more speed, those little legs moving as fast as they can to get closer and closer and closer...but not too close.

Not close enough for me to touch them.

Not close enough for me to hold them.

Not close enough for me to pet them.

No. They really only want me for what they can get from me.

And that would be some chicken feed.

These hens hear any sound harkening my arrival on the scene and they come hustling, hoping I will have that yellow feed bucket in hand, full of yummy chicken scratch.

Yet, they don’t want me to touch, hold or pet them.

Just the scratch, ma’am.

You would think that after all I do for these girls, they would actually want to be closer to me. I keep them fed, sheltered, watered, and safe from predators.

But no. They don’t love me. They just want the feed.

I know they are just chickens, but sadly, they remind me of myself sometimes.

Honestly, every time they run up to this corner of their huge pasture looking for me to toss feed to them, these words of Jesus come to my mind:

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” Matthew 15:8.

Sounds just like my chickens. You know who else this sounds like?

Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ betrayer.

On Wednesday of Jesus’ Passion Week, Judas Iscariot perfectly demonstrates Jesus’ words. Jesus and His disciples were in the home of Simon the leper, enjoying each other’s company, when a woman came on the scene. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, came into the room, broke her expensive alabaster jar and poured the costly perfume on Jesus’ head and His feet. Then, she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair.

All of the disciples were pretty upset, because this extravagant act of worship was a very expensive one! A year’s worth of wages broken and poured out, then wiped away.  

Of all the disciples, Judas was the most incensed. He felt this outrageous offering could have been put to much better use – they could have sold it and had enough money to feed the poor, and well, some of the money would have found its way into Judas’ own pocket.

Outraged over this loss of funds, Judas “went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’” (Matthew 26:14b-15a)

Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, who had been shoulder-to-shoulder, side-by-side with Jesus for the last three years, was now trading Jesus in for 30 pieces of silver.

For three years, Judas “drew near Jesus with his mouth and honoured Him with his lips,” staying close by, “managing” the money box, even participating in the ministry of healing people and feeding the hungry multitudes.

Yet, in reality, Judas’ heart was way closer to that money box than it was to Jesus.

And so, Judas betrayed Jesus into the hands of the chief priests.

Judas was only interested in what he could get, and what he could take.

What a stark contrast we see in the person of Mary.

Mary also had followed Jesus very closely for three years. She served Jesus and she sat at His feet.

Mary gave. Mary poured out a very valuable commodity in worship of Jesus.

Mary honoured Jesus with her lips, and she demonstrated that her heart also honoured Him.

I don’t think Judas and Mary could have been any more different from each other!

Mary gave. Judas took.

Mary knelt. Judas stood.

Mary stayed. Judas left.

Mary worshiped. Judas betrayed.

Mary drew near to Jesus with her mouth and honoured Jesus with her lips (words), and her heart was near to Jesus.

Judas drew near to Jesus with his mouth and honoured Jesus with his lips (words), but his heart was far from Jesus.

I wonder, which statement would Jesus put my name in?  

Susie drew near to me with her mouth and honoured Me with her lips, AND.....or BUT...?

I am ashamed to say that there are times when I know it would have to be the “but” statement. There have been times when I have run to Him, just like my chickens do to me – only to get what He can give me.

I so want Jesus to use the “AND” statement for me! AND Susie’s heart was near to Jesus!

I find that by slowing down, intentionally focusing on Jesus and His Word daily, spending time  every day worshipping and praying to Him, my heart does grow closer and closer and closer to Him.

How about you?

Are you honouring God with your lips?

Is your heart drawing near to Him, or is it far away?

Want to talk about it? I would love to talk with you and share how we can draw closer to our God, to our Lord and Savior, with both the words of our lips and with our hearts. You can contact me through my website at susielewis.net. I look forward to hearing from you!

Now, I better go feed my chickens. They are waiting for me.