At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:31-35)

In our scripture, we gain an amazing glimpse into the inner life of Jesus at a critical time in his life. There is a price on his head. Jesus is close to looking death square in the face. What seems to be friendly advice comes from an unlikely source, “Get out of town,” the Pharisees tell him, “Herod wants to kill you!”

This would be enough to get my attention. “Someone want’s to kill you!” Would that do it for you?

Chances of any one of us having to go through this particular crisis are remote. But… we will go through some dark valley sometime– somewhere– someday. It may be the loss of someone we love, a life threatening illness, the breakup of a relationship or loss of a job. But… the question isn’t will crisis hit; it’s when will crisis come and how will we handle it?

Once again the good news is that Christ has been there. He is with us in “the thick of things” and very much in touch with the depth of our struggles. Not only was there a price on Jesus’ head, he knew that storm clouds were gathering and he knew for certain that he was headed for a confrontation with death. How does he handle it? If you and I can get in touch with and develop the principles Jesus used to get through this toughest of times, we can put them into practice in our own lives.