Wherever

Wherever

Matthew 8:19-20, NLT

Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

Setting the Scene

Luke describes this volunteer as “a man,” but Matthew gives him a distinct position as a teacher of religious law (a grammateus, or scribe). There are a couple of attitudes this man possibly used in his approach to requesting to be a disciple. One may have been the “I am someone worth having as a disciple because of my status” attitude. Another might have been the “These common folk will fall away, but I’m the kind of person who is capable of following you wherever” attitude. The scribes had an intimate connection with God’s Word because they were charged with the task of copying the scrolls of God’s Word. Before printed books, the personal effort involved in the careful reproduction of holy texts not only gave a certain status to those who did the work, it also led to the assumption that those who copied the Law might be the best to interpret it.

Jesus was not impressed by the offer, and he responded with what sounds very much like an Old Testament proverb. This potential disciple wasn’t rejected; he was simply challenged to think again about what he was saying. Eventually, people would reject Jesus and his disciples. The expectation of physical comfort or material advantage should not be taken for granted.

This is Jesus’ first use of the Son of Man title in Matthew. The term claimed Jesus’ messianic role, which at the time had become almost exclusively a description for a hoped-for political leader to throw out the Romans.

Two cautions come to us from this brief encounter: It’s easy to align ourselves to a caricature of Jesus, and it’s hard to embrace the cost of following the real Jesus.

Getting Personal

This man called Jesus “Teacher.” What is your preferred term for Jesus, and what do you mean by it?

What have you discovered about the cost of following Jesus?

For those of us who live in a society that claims religious tolerance, persecution often takes the form of rejection for those who actually take Jesus seriously. But such “tolerance” means little if it isn’t based on a firmly held personal worldview.

Talking to God

Praise God for the lasting security he promises, and don’t depend on any temporary securities you may be enjoying. Thank God for his faithful presence—wherever you go.