Matthew 8:19-20 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you Go. And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nest, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

The young scribe had been following Jesus and watching Him. He had witnessed the teachings and miracles. He was enamored with what was going on, and the man thought that he wanted to be part of what was going on. Maybe he looked at the disciples of Jesus and thought to himself that he was already a scribe and they were simple fishermen. Maybe he could become a leader amongst them and have fame. This is how many of the fans of Jesus think. It is not about the message or the mission; it is about them.

Jesus recognizes the motives behind every action because He is God. He looks at the scribe and lays it out for him plainly. In the examples that He gives, Jesus does not say He is penniless but tells the young man that the life He and the disciples lead is not an easy one. They have a mission to spread the message of truth and that leads them to travel. Jesus had no home. He stayed at His disciples’ homes and with friends. This was not common for a Jewish person where family was so important. We continue to read and understand that the scribe did not follow any further with Jesus.

When we become true followers of Jesus this does not mean that we have to give up all of our worldly possessions. But what it does mean is that he calls us to a different kind of life than we are used to. Our mission should be about taking as many people to heaven with us as possible. We are called to invest our money, our time and whatever else it takes to complete what we are called to accomplish. We are told just like the scribe in these scriptures to think long and hard before we make our commitment. But, friends, from experience, it is the best decision that you will ever make.