The Cost of Following Jesus

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up 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 nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:18-22

Jesus warned people that following would cost them. To one he spoke about homelessness; Jesus spent three years on the road, with no predictable place to lay his head. Some nights he stayed in people’s homes; but I expect there were also some nights when he and the disciples had to sleep under the stars, with only their cloaks for bedding.

There was another way following him could cause them trouble, and that was in family problems. It’s not entirely clear what was going on with the young man who talked about burying his father (though we know the father couldn’t have been lying at home dead at that very moment, or the son would not have been out in public, against all cultural expectations!). Still, it’s clear that if this man followed Jesus, he would be upsetting people at home.

Refugees and immigrants understand these costs better than most Americans born here do. They may have experienced homelessness as they fled war zones or lived in refugee camps. They may also have experienced family problems—and if they come from non-Christian backgrounds, they are very likely to experience them if they come to trust in Jesus.

How can you help? You can pray for them, both their physical needs and their spiritual needs. And you can help them come to know Jesus through your words and actions—Jesus who understands exactly what they are going through, and who died and rose again to give them an everlasting home and family with God our Father. Because in Jesus, we find all that we need.

Dear Savior, help those who are homeless or have trouble in their families. Bring them to find everything they need in you, and in the care of the people you’ve called to serve you by serving them. Amen.

By Dr. Kari Vo