When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “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.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Matthew 8:18 – 22

I have pored over this little paragraph quite often.  Here are a few of my reflections.

The healings recorded in the beginning of Chapter 8 show people coming to Jesus.  He graciously heard them and healed their sick.  In this short story, we find Jesus on “the other side of the lake.”  This was far away from the familiar world of Jesus, on the western shores of the lake.

Our reading notes that a teacher of the law was so caught up in the miracles of Jesus, I do believe, that he confided with Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”  He did not want to miss a thing.  It seemed like everyone Jesus touched received healing.  This was marvelous!

Jesus had a word of caution for this enthusiasm.  He struck a somber note, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  He did not even mention miracles in his response, but drove to a deeper, more profound level.  He made it clear that all who wish may follow him but they must be prepared to live like Jesus – without the normal securities of a Jew in Israel.  Healings are temporary, the reign of Christ is eternal. 

Now, dear reader, that is food for thought!  Am I ready to follow a person who has nothing?  Yet has everything!