Matthew 8:20 “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
The response of Jesus here in Matthew 8:20 is to an impetuous man, a scribe, who in verse 19 has declared, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Having seen Jesus doing miracles one may conclude this man was thinking of the advantages he might gain in following Jesus. He was looking for what he could get. To this bold declaration comes a startling response from Jesus that might have started out with “REALLY?” It could have been a phrase, “You REALLY will FOLLOW Me WHEREVER I go?” “REALLY?” To what appears to be a RASH decision Jesus is quick to challenge such commitment by defining the reality of what it means to FOLLOW HIM WHEREVER HE WOULD BE GOING. As we know Jesus was headed for a cross. Is this scribe ready to follow Him to a cross? Presently Jesus tells that His earthly journey is not one of comfort and pleasure. The images of lowly animals like foxes and birds are used to convey that they have better than Him.
What do we take away from such a response by Jesus to what appears to be tremendous dedication from this scribe? One would have thought Jesus would have embraced such a commitment to Him! Yet His revelation of His present personal life appears to challenge this man to COUNT THE COST. And counting the cost of following Him would be one of His major themes as He carried out His ministry on earth.
Getting up close and personal I ask why are you a Christian? Is it for fire insurance? So you will not go to hell?
Getting up close and personal I ask why are you a follower of Jesus? Do you see following Him as something that brings you acceptance with family? Maybe acceptance of some friends?
Using the fact that Jesus challenged a scribe, a religious leader, on his motives for making such a commitment that on the surface sure appeared genuine I pose the question to you, my friends, what is the true motive of being a follower of Jesus? Is it for status? Is it for financial gain? The airwaves are full of prosperity preachers telling us to follow Jesus for health and wealth. Why have you decided to follow Jesus?
Maybe I press too hard here. I do know that Jesus laid out His expectation for being a disciple in Luke 9:23 as He stated, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Friends, before making the vow, the commitment, to truly be a follower, a disciple of Jesus. count the cost. This is not to discourage you from following but to encourage you. RASH decisions tend to lead to failure as when following Jesus gets tough one quits. Count the cost. Count the cost and then commit to living Luke 9:23!
Blessings on your day!
And remember to DATE THE WORD!