I have a friend who works at an apartment store. He and his manager witnessed a man coming into the store, picking up two sleeping bags and a tent, and proceeding to leave the store without paying. My friend ran after the thief and told him to stop. Of course, the closer he got to the man, the more he realised how big he was. But that was not the worst of it, he suddenly realised that he was alone—the manager had not followed him. Fortunately, other staff members arrived on the scene, and the thief dropped the goods and walked away.
There was a scribe who told Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Undoubtedly this man believed himself sincere. However, he did not receive the answer he might have expected from an average Rabbi out on a recruitment drive. Instead, Jesus cautioned him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Mt.8:20).
Physical hardship and discomfort were all in a day’s ministry for Jesus and his followers. This scribe did not understand the sacrifices that lay ahead. He was professing intentions that he was incapable of carrying out. He may have been an expert in the Law of Moses, but Jesus was not looking for a follower to talk to about the finer points of the Law.
He was equipping men to take the Gospel to a lost and hostile world—even the foxes and birds enjoyed better living conditions.
When Jesus calls us to follow him, he is calling us to go wherever he leads. And judging by his response to the scribe, we might want to expect to make more sacrifices than we have to date.
John Staiger
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