Following Jesus

Q

I am very thankful to God for the wisdom He had given to you. In this regard, I would like to hear from you a clearer explanation regarding Mathew 8:20 which says: Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” I guess, this is figurative speech, however, in verse 19 The teacher of the law was seemingly willing to follow Jesus wherever He went.” What was really the reason why Jesus answered that way?

A

A teacher of the Law would most likely have been a Levite. They were supported from the tithes of the other 11 tribes and many lived comfortable lives. Jesus might have been doubting his sincerity, or just giving him fair warning, but I think He was speaking both literally and figuratively.

He literally had no home or property, no earthly possessions, nothing but the clothes on His back. There is no record of Him ever taking any time off. He was constantly on the road and at night He slept wherever He happened to be. Figuratively, He had no “place” in the world. He didn’t “fit” anywhere. He was disliked by the leaders and misunderstood by most of the people.

In short, He was the man from Heaven and following Him involved making a commitment to abandon everything the people of Earth hold dear.