“As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 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.'”
Luke 9:57-62
Jesus’ way to living and teaching was very compelling, and he often had crowds of hangers-on around him and his disciples – like the crowd that listened to his “sermon on the mount” or the over 5000 people that witnessed Jesus miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish. Crowds sometimes required that he stand in a boat out in the water in order to have room to teach. Crowds greeted Jesus everywhere.
I can imagine the person in Matthew 9 being someone who had encountered Jesus before, perhaps even thinking that what he had seen in Jesus was so wonderful the man wanted to be a disciple of Jesus. Maybe he hadn’t thought much about what a life of following Jesus would look like; he just knew that he really liked what Jesus said.
Most people you talk to about Jesus will say something very complimentary about him, whether they believe he is divine or not. Some people will say “yes to Jesus but no to the church or religion.” In both cases, they don’t really know Jesus. They just admire him in the way you’d admire a really good politician, or school teacher, or medical professional. You just don’t want to follow them around or build your life around them.
Jesus gave the seemingly eager wannabe follower a warning. “Have you considered what the costs of following me are,” Jesus seems to ask. “I don’t own property or have a place to call my own. Are you ready for that?”
Something to think about: If you had a sit-down with Jesus, what do you think he might ask you to do that you are not currently doing?
Something to pray about: O Jesus, we know that you require those who claim to be your disciples to follow you down the same path. The path to service, humility, sacrifice, and to the Cross. It is not easy to walk this way, so we pray for your Spirit to bolster our resolve and commitment. To you we pray. Amen.