NESTS AND HOLES

Matt. 8:20

 

“ . . . Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds have nests,

but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.’”

 

Jesus made the statement in the verse above when a teacher of the Law (a Scribe) came to him and declared, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  The fact is that many people want to follow Jesus because they believe that doing so will insure them of a life of ease and prosperity. I believe this was the case with the Scribe.  O course I don’t really know anything about this Scribe’s motivation except what I can deduce from Jesus’ unusual response.  But the Scripture doesn’t say anything about him actually FOLLOWING Jesus.  I wonder why it is so difficult for people to see that Jesus’ earthly life wasn’t one of ease and prosperity.  In fact, the Bible makes it fairly clear that to follow Jesus is to point one’s self toward a cross (SEE Matt. 16:24). 

 

Jesus Christ came as an unwelcome stranger into the very world He had created.  However, He came with a mission; a cause with cosmic and eternal significance.  He wasn’t distracted by a desire for comfort or wealth.  He wasn’t interested in improving his stock portfolio or making a down payment on a house.  Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost, and He was determined that the elect would be redeemed regardless of the cost. 

 

But here is a different point. . . The young man said; “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Listen friend, following Jesus isn’t about going where He went.  Following Jesus is about walking how He walked.  Jesus yielded himself without reservation to the will of God the Father.  He ministered solely in the power of the Holy Spirit.  If we are to truly follow Jesus, we have to do the same.  Perhaps we can get a better perspective by seeing what someone who really did follow Jesus has to say . . . consider what the apostle John wrote: “We are sure that we know Christ if we obey his commandments. The person who says, "I know him," but doesn’t obey his commandments is a liar. The truth isn’t in that person. But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God’s love is perfected. That’s how we know we are in Christ. Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived.”  (1 John 2:3-6 GWV).

 

So . . . being a true follower of Christ isn’t about whether you have a hole or a nest.  Following Jesus is about being obedient and faithful in fulfilling your mission.