As my wife tried to get home from visiting our daughter over the holidays, bad weather shut down numerous flights. After 2 days, she had a fistful of boarding passes for planes that couldn’t leave the ground, and she joined thousands of weary travelers scrambling for places to stay.
The occasional delay is one thing. Sleeping on your luggage is quite another.
Jesus apparently spent a lot of time sleeping on the ground. When someone declared, “I will follow you wherever you go,” Christ told him, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Luke 9:57-58).
No doubt, many people showed Jesus hospitality. But it’s odd to think of Him as homeless. The simple fact remains that He wasn’t averse to sleeping under the stars.
In the week prior to Jesus’ death, Luke tells us, “Each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives” (Luke 21:37). Then, early in the morning, He would go back to the temple to teach.
I like the idea of this outdoorsy, accessible Jesus. Imagine the Creator of the cosmos going up the mountain to talk with His Father deep into the night. But then I’m reminded of His hard statement: “The Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” The Son of God, born in a stable . . . wandering as a homeless rabbi . . . nailed to a cross.
Commitment to a great cause sounds adventurous, but reality soon intrudes. Believing in Jesus is easy, but following Him poses a challenge. He may lead me to places I don’t care to go. And my pledge of allegiance rings hollow if I don’t count the cost. “Anyone who . . . looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Hebrews 10:19-39
More:
Matthew 11:28-30 has some great encouragement for you if you’re weary but still want to follow Jesus.
Next:
What commitments (if any) have you made to Jesus? How can you seek His help in living up to them?
Gary Shultz on December 16, 2014 at 6:06 am
Ah, yes, I would think most of us tend to forget how earthy life was in those days. Many of us have lives filled with doodads we think are must haves. I am humbled again by the path Jesus took to complete His mission for us. Thank you, well staged as we consider Christmas. May you fully enjoy the celebration of God’s Gift.
tgustafs on December 16, 2014 at 7:34 am
To think that He began His life on this earth by being born with the animals! And then to be a refugee in infancy, fleeing to Egypt.
Tom Kopper on December 16, 2014 at 7:42 am
Cold, hard facts of Jesus life after he left Mary for His mission, was that He was “homeless”. And even before He was born, the neighbors accused Mary of having committed ‘ adultery,making Him a “illegitimate”, (even though we know that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit). How low and humbled life, on Earth, for the Creator of this universe, Who is now “ABOVE-ALL-THINGS” ! ! !
Tom Felten on December 16, 2014 at 9:15 am
So true, Tom Kopper. I’m reminded of these words from Philippians: “Instead, [Jesus] gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). What an amazing Savior!
Winn Collier on December 21, 2014 at 3:02 pm
I’ve spent a couple nights on the hard lounge chairs of an airport (Moscow and Phoenix). Haven’t thought about that in a while…