“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” – Matthew 8:19-20
The winds have died down, the chill in the air has dissipated and been replaced by the humidity often associated with living in the South. The weather is often times unpredictable as we have all experienced this past year. Flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires and winter blasts that lasted well into early Spring have impacted many throughout this year. We watch the news as they describe the devastation brought upon the buildings, businesses, schools and residential communities after one of these events. We’ve seen the debris field left behind afterwards and prayed for those that are impacted and we pray for those that have lost family members. It’s tragic when something like this happens because if you are in the path of one of these storms it can change your life forever.
The ones we seldom hear about though are the homeless in these circumstances. What have they lost should a tornado rip through their cardboard community? Their wealth, their life belongings fit into a box or a shopping cart. The roof over their head is often times a cardboard box if they are lucky enough to find one. Have you thought about the plight of the homeless during these catastrophic events?
Our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ was a homeless man for the few years of His ministry. Sure, His mother and father had a place in Nazareth, but Jesus was seldom in Nazareth when His ministry began. He called the disciples to “follow Me”. It wasn’t a request to go on vacation, it was a request to give up their current life and to follow the Messiah, the son of man. A bold request, that most would spend hours if not days thinking about, before agreeing too. Jesus called these men away from the comfort of their homes, their families and their peace of mind. There were no guarantees, no assurances that He would provide transportation, shelter or an income. For these things were not of concern to Jesus Christ.
In towns and villages Jesus, and the disciples, would often stay with another. Sometimes it was a friend, sometimes it was a tax collector. His command to the disciples was to go out among the communities, heal the sick and cast out demons in His name. In doing so He instructs them “do not take anything and to stay with others when they come upon a community” (Matthew 10:9-11). Their nourishment and provisions should not be their concern, for their mission is to spread His grace, love and salvation. When they traveled they looked to the Father for provision, and in doing so became less dependent upon worldly possessions which would only distract them from their calling.
We all become pre-occupied with this world and the things of this world at times. When storms roll through and all is lost, it is so easy to fall prey to the evil one and believe that our life indeed is lost because we have nothing. Take a moment and consider this outlandish idea. If you did not have a home, car or a job; all you had were the clothes on your back and shoes on your feet; what would you do for God? Would you travel from city to city spreading His good news? Would you look for shelter from a stranger and then share the gospel with them? I have heard a story of a young man, successful by the world’s standards, who gave up everything to travel America and hand out bibles. He moves from city to city, begging and working for his keep, and in the process asking for folks to donate bibles, which he gives away to those in need. This is a modern day example of what Jesus Christ was asking His disciples to do. It seems far fetched and counter intuitive when looked at from the world’s perspective. Yet, he is not concerned about losing everything to the floods, tornados, hurricanes or wildfires.
It’s a strange thought I know, but it’s one that we all must face at one point or another – What worldly possession is separating me from truly serving the Lord? I think about this and often shutter at my answer, for it is worldly by nature.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You Lord for providing for our needs. You have given each of us the ability to serve You and the means by which to do so. Help us to eliminate the unnecessary burdens of this world so that we can focus our attention completely on spreading Your gospel and sharing Your love with others. Break down the walls of insecurity and fear that keep us bound by worldly desires. Use us for Your purpose right where we are, and help us to take every opportunity to expand Your kingdom. In Your name we pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
The ones we seldom hear about though are the homeless in these circumstances. What have they lost should a tornado rip through their cardboard community? Their wealth, their life belongings fit into a box or a shopping cart. The roof over their head is often times a cardboard box if they are lucky enough to find one. Have you thought about the plight of the homeless during these catastrophic events?
Our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ was a homeless man for the few years of His ministry. Sure, His mother and father had a place in Nazareth, but Jesus was seldom in Nazareth when His ministry began. He called the disciples to “follow Me”. It wasn’t a request to go on vacation, it was a request to give up their current life and to follow the Messiah, the son of man. A bold request, that most would spend hours if not days thinking about, before agreeing too. Jesus called these men away from the comfort of their homes, their families and their peace of mind. There were no guarantees, no assurances that He would provide transportation, shelter or an income. For these things were not of concern to Jesus Christ.
In towns and villages Jesus, and the disciples, would often stay with another. Sometimes it was a friend, sometimes it was a tax collector. His command to the disciples was to go out among the communities, heal the sick and cast out demons in His name. In doing so He instructs them “do not take anything and to stay with others when they come upon a community” (Matthew 10:9-11). Their nourishment and provisions should not be their concern, for their mission is to spread His grace, love and salvation. When they traveled they looked to the Father for provision, and in doing so became less dependent upon worldly possessions which would only distract them from their calling.
We all become pre-occupied with this world and the things of this world at times. When storms roll through and all is lost, it is so easy to fall prey to the evil one and believe that our life indeed is lost because we have nothing. Take a moment and consider this outlandish idea. If you did not have a home, car or a job; all you had were the clothes on your back and shoes on your feet; what would you do for God? Would you travel from city to city spreading His good news? Would you look for shelter from a stranger and then share the gospel with them? I have heard a story of a young man, successful by the world’s standards, who gave up everything to travel America and hand out bibles. He moves from city to city, begging and working for his keep, and in the process asking for folks to donate bibles, which he gives away to those in need. This is a modern day example of what Jesus Christ was asking His disciples to do. It seems far fetched and counter intuitive when looked at from the world’s perspective. Yet, he is not concerned about losing everything to the floods, tornados, hurricanes or wildfires.
It’s a strange thought I know, but it’s one that we all must face at one point or another – What worldly possession is separating me from truly serving the Lord? I think about this and often shutter at my answer, for it is worldly by nature.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You Lord for providing for our needs. You have given each of us the ability to serve You and the means by which to do so. Help us to eliminate the unnecessary burdens of this world so that we can focus our attention completely on spreading Your gospel and sharing Your love with others. Break down the walls of insecurity and fear that keep us bound by worldly desires. Use us for Your purpose right where we are, and help us to take every opportunity to expand Your kingdom. In Your name we pray – Amen
http://www.10minutereader.com©Sondove Enterprises, 2011
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