“And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 13:32 Mean?
When warned that Herod wants to kill Him, Jesus responds with one of the most defiant statements in the Gospels: "Go ye, and tell that fox..." He calls Herod a fox—a small, cunning, sneaky predator in contrast to the lion-king imagery Herod would have preferred. The insult is precise: Herod is sly but small. Dangerous but not impressive. Cunning but not powerful in the way he imagines.
Jesus then outlines His own schedule: casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and being "perfected" on the third day. The third-day reference points directly to the resurrection—Jesus' "perfection" or completion happens through death and resurrection, not through political maneuvering. Herod can scheme all he wants. Jesus' calendar is set by His Father, not by a fox.
The refusal to be intimidated by Herod's threat reveals Jesus' complete sovereignty over His own timeline. He doesn't flee. He doesn't hide. He doesn't change His schedule. He sends a message back to the fox: I'm doing what I'm doing, on the schedule I'm on, and your threats don't alter it. My completion happens when God determines, not when you threaten.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Who is the 'fox' in your life—the person using cunning and threats to alter your course?
- 2.How does naming a threat accurately ('fox,' not 'lion') change your response to it?
- 3.Jesus refused to adjust His schedule for Herod's threats. What calling are you tempted to abandon because of intimidation?
- 4.If your timeline is set by God, not by the people threatening you, how does that change your posture toward the fox?
Devotional
"Tell that fox." Jesus doesn't mince words. Herod Antipas—the man who beheaded John the Baptist, who ruled Galilee with Roman backing, who had the power to arrest and execute—gets called a fox. A small, sly, sneaky animal. Not a lion. Not an eagle. A fox. Jesus names the predator for exactly what it is: cunning but small.
And then Jesus lays out His schedule: I'm doing my work today and tomorrow, and on the third day, I'll be perfected. Translation: I'm not adjusting my timeline for your threats. I'm not running. I'm not hiding. I'm doing what my Father assigned me to do, and your fox-schemes don't change a single thing.
The defiance is breathtaking. This is a man who knows He's going to die—and He's not afraid of the fox who thinks he'll be the cause. Herod imagines himself as the threat. Jesus knows the cross is the appointment—and the cross is on God's calendar, not Herod's. The fox doesn't determine the Lamb's schedule.
If there's a 'fox' in your life—someone sly, threatening, using their position to intimidate you into changing your course—Jesus' response is your model. Name it for what it is: a fox. Not a lion. Then keep doing what God assigned you to do. Don't adjust your calling because a small predator bared its teeth. Your schedule is set by your Father. The fox doesn't get a vote.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Nevertheless, I must walk,.... The Syriac version reads, "I must work", and so the Arabic: as going about doing good,…
Tell that fox - A fox is an emblem of slyness, of cunning, and of artful mischief. The word is also used to denote a…
Tell that fox - Herod was a very vicious prince, and lived in public incest with his sister-in-law, Mar 6:17 : if our…
Here is, I. A suggestion to Christ of his danger from Herod, now that he was in Galilee, within Herod's jurisdiction…
that fox Rather, this she-fox, as though Christ saw him actually present, or identified hisfox-like nature with that…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture