“Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” Matthew 8:20 [NASB]
Most of us have heard of and/or read Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount from Matthew 5-7. In Matthew 6, Jesus taught about the cure for anxiety concerning
what a person will wear, and what he will eat and drink. He taught the Father
knows what each person needs and just like He clothes, feeds, and provides
drink for birds and flowers, you, who are His greatest creation, will have all your
needs met. Instead of having anxiety about these things, Jesus said, “Seek
first His (God’s) kingdom and His (God’s) righteousness, and all these things
will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Once we get our minds to understand, believe, and rely on
this statement so we do not worry about our daily needs and instead grow in our
relationship with God through Christ, we come to the point where we realize Jesus
taught a furtherance of this lesson. In Matthew 8, a Jewish scribe approached Him
after Jesus healed a leper and Peter’s mother-in-law. This scribe told Jesus he
would follow Him wherever He went. Jesus’ remark takes us back to what He said
in Matthew 6:33, but it tells us more. It teaches us more. Jesus told the
scribe, though foxes and birds have places to lay their heads and call home,
the Son of Man does not. (Matthew 8:20)
We may think after reading this statement by Jesus to the
scribe, “Okay, yeah, sure, I understand. Jesus just told us God would provide
all our needs so here Jesus is telling him not to worry about it.” His statement
is more than that. Before, Jesus said not to worry because God will provide, so
instead of worrying, seek God, His kingdom, and His righteousness. With this
statement from Matthew 8:20, Jesus meant He Himself does Matthew 6:33 already,
but there is more. He trusted God to provide all His needs and He was in a close
and personal relationship with the Father, having His righteousness and His
kingdom. What Matthew 8:20 then meant for Jesus is He was okay that He did
not have a place to lay His head. He trusted the Father enough that even if
He didn’t have a place to lay His head, it was okay. Jesus’ emotions at not
having a place to lay His head was not panic and worry, but instead contentment
and peace. He did not have a place to call home or even know where He would sleep
that night.
Jesus did not ask the Father for a place to lay His head.
His relationship with the Father went beyond material things and needs. Jesus’
relationship with the Father went beyond His emotions to His spiritual
relationship and reliance and trust in the Father and His will. His focus was
on the Father and the purpose for His life on earth. Did you catch that? Jesus knew the Father
would take care of all His needs and those of His followers. He also trusted
that even if He didn’t have a place to lay His head, it was okay. It was all
part of God’s will and plan. Jesus trusted the Father with His whole being. He
taught His followers they could trust God completely, too. That explains why we
can love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength…because
we trust Him to take care of all these areas of our lives. We can have peace
and contentment knowing God will take care of us whether we have a place to
lay our head tonight, a chicken or only rice on the table, or know if we will
wake to see the sun tomorrow. God’s plan is the best plan. His will and His
kingdom bring peace and well-being.
What are the questions for us today?
- Have we come to the point where we do not fret about our corporeal needs like food, drink, clothes, and a roof over our heads?
- Are our needs for God’s contentment and peace more important to us than our need to know His plans for our days and nights?
- Are we in such a close relationship with God that our physical earthly needs are secondary to the priority of seeking and being with God, seeking His kingdom (His will) and doing His will? Everything else pales in comparison to our relationship with God and His will on earth.
What gets in your way of seeking God and His kingdom?
Lord, I get so busy
trying to make sure I have enough money to pay for food, rent, car loan, kids
school fees, and other things that I let those cares take priority in my mind
and heart over You. Please forgive me for placing things over You. Lord, help
me always to seek You and Your will. In the rush of my day, remind me to look
up to You. In the quiet of my night, call my spirit to return to You. In the
fear of uncertainty, whisper, “Come to Me.” Lord, I am a willful person who is
trying to do what’s best, but sometimes I forget You and your will are the
absolute best. Help me to remember and to desire You with my whole being. Give
me Your perfect peace that comes from an active trusting reliance in You. I
love You, Lord. Thank you for calling to me every day. Amen.
