Post by Mark on Nov 7, 2009 5:10:01 GMT -8
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.
(Mat 8:19-20)
You have to understand what has just happened to really see what Messiah is saying. He had just finished declaring how the Jewish people (the children of promise) will be left out in the cold while gentiles come in and eat with Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. He wasn’t talking to the local Baptist congregation; and the greater Israelite population would have been less than pleased.
Foxes, in an agrarian society like 1st Century Israel, were bad guys. They dig up your gardens. They steel your produce. They are a pesky varmint, and no one would think twice about chucking one into the river, given the chance.
In the same way, birds are not considered fondly either. They eat the seeds, and tear up the gardens.
We read the phrase in English and simply think that he’s telling this scribe that a life walking with Messiah is not going to be the life of accommodation that this professional fellow was accustomed to living. However, the idea of laying one’s head does not necessarily mean that He doesn’t get to have a comfortable place to sleep. Putting one’s head down, in this context, more appropriately means that the Son of Man has no place to duck.
The foxes have their holes (to hide in), the birds of the air have their nests; but walking with Messiah means walking in the shooting gallery.
This would make particular sense when talking to a scribe, whose livelihood was centered in the professional religious community. In no uncertain terms, Messiah was saying, "If you walk with Me, then your career is over."
This aspect of a relationship of faith is generally kept in the small print when dealing with most evangelistic promotions. "Come to Jesus, all who labor and are heavy laden and He will give you rest… (Oh, by the way, everyone you ever knew before is going to be inclined to knock your block off.)" It’s little wonder that the faith in Jesus that is taught today bears so little resemblance to the lives described of our Messiah and His immediate followers.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour.
(Joh 12:24-26)
