“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19-20)
These days, it seems that the focus of our Christian faith is mainly on “getting” more and more. Perhaps we have seen those musical TikTok videos that flaunt all the material blessings that we have received as though to suggest it is the only measure for the evidence of God’s favor and working Presence in our lives. If this were true, what would happen if all these material possessions were to disappear? What would happen if we lost our riches, mansions, private planes, and the adulation of thousands or even millions of loyal followers? This is not beyond the realms of possibility. Would this mean that God’s favor is absent from our lives?
If this were true, then Jesus was the most forsaken of all. He had no place to lay his head. He did not have material wealth. From birth to death, Jesus led a simple and humble life. There was really nothing impressive to flaunt in a TikTok video. In fact, it seemed that God had totally abandoned him. He was born in a stinky stable among farm animals. His background was mundane, his father was a village carpenter and his mother a naïve teenage girl. He did not eat in fancy restaurants, and at one point shared some coarse bread and fish provided by a little boy with thousands of his followers. He did not own a private jet or yacht. Biblical evidence would suggest that he traveled mainly by foot and boat. In the end he died a horrible death sandwiched between two common criminals, and yet the Bible indicates more than once that Jesus was the beloved Son of God (John 3:16, Matthew 3:17).
If Jesus is our role model, then we are called to live as he lived, not a life unto ourselves and our own glory, but a sacrificial life unto others and unto God. We are called to seek not the spoils of this world, but his kingdom first, then all other things will be added unto us. We are called to live not in our limelight, but in his light. We may not be sure why the scribe wanted to follow Jesus wherever he went, but we can make sure that we follow Jesus for the right reasons, for the just shall live by faith.
Today his Spirit calls us to commit to a life of giving (even life itself) as Jesus gave, rather than getting. We are called to worship the giver, rather than the gifts. His Presence in our lives is all we need.