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Response
The concept that Jesus had no place to rest His head originates from a dialogue documented in the book of Matthew and also in the book of Luke. Jesus was conversing with a scribe who expressed a desire to accompany Him and become a disciple. The scribe proudly declared, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus responded, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19-20;Luke 9:57-58).
These same passages mention two other individuals who had similar conversations with Jesus. In each instance, Jesus emphasized that there is a price to pay for following Him. The scribe who expressed his willingness to follow Jesus wherever He went had not considered the lifestyle Jesus embraced. Our Lord was essentially without a home; He and His disciples lodged in the residences of those who welcomed them (see Luke 10:6-8). The scribes belonged to the more affluent members of society. It was almost as if Jesus was asking, “Are you truly prepared to be without a home with Me?” Even animals have a place to dwell—foxes have dens and birds have nests—but Jesus literally had “nowhere to lay his head.” He wanted the scribe to genuinely assess the commitment he was considering. It is always prudent to assess the commitment «For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? », (Luke 14:28).
Many prospective followers of Christ anticipated that He would establish His kingdom imminently, desiring to be on the victorious side to partake in the glorious triumph see Luke 19:11. The scribe in Matthew 8 was likely envisioning following Jesus directly into the kingdom, where he would participate in governing the world. But Jesu
Jesus wanted the scribe to understand that following Him does not lead to earthly glory; it means sharing in earthly suffering. His disciples were not promised a golden throne but rather faced privation and poverty. The King was homeless.
The fact that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head does not imply that every Christian today must live in poverty or abandon family and friends. Even in Jesus’ time, some of His followers were wealthy—Joseph of Arimathea, for instance, as mentioned in Matthew 27:57. However, every Christian should be ready to forsake everything. Each believer is called to let go of any idol that hinders wholehearted devotion to Christ. We all know what that thing is and how challenging it is to part with it. Yet, ultimately, a heart that loves Christ will relinquish that rival love, despite the genuine pain and anguish involved. We are all like the merchant who discovered the pearl of great value and sold all he had to obtain it (Matthew 13:45-46). Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but in this world, we may have to go without, as we seek “a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” «For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. », (2 Corinthians 5:1). There, we will find a place to lay our head.
