Matthew 8:18-22 "Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 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. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."
As related in verse sixteen of this chapter, on the evening of His visit to Peter’s house, many came to Him to be healed of all sorts of ailments. Luke records this same event in this manner, “and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.” The point is that Jesus did not simply step to the door of the house, look out at the crowd, and declare, “You are all healed.” He touched each individual and He healed them individually.
It is likely that the great multitude referenced in verse eighteen is not only speaking of those that came to be healed. We know from our own nature that when something extraordinary is reported on the community, people flock to see what is going on. Some are merely curious, some may come to cast doubt on the situation, and others show up hoping to be entertained by some spectacle. Some came with hope and others came to mock.
After healing so many, the man Jesus was tired. This is evidenced by that fact that He fell asleep in a boat during a storm shortly after departing from this place (Matthew 8:23-25). He needed to rest and did not intend to simply be viewed as a curiosity. One of the scribes was so impressed with what Jesus had done that he declared he would follow Jesus anywhere.
Jesus’s declaration in verse twenty is not simply about not owning a home. Scribes were highly regarded in Jewish society and well educated although not often wealthy. Jesus was telling this man (and us) that following Him was not about gaining acclaim or worldly benefit. Following Him was about a life of self-denial, which was not something the scribes were interested in, being often associated with the self-righteous Pharisees.
Jesus’s instruction to the disciple that asked to first go and bury his father was not out of any disrespect or hard heartedness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed us to seek the kingdom of heaven first. He was reaffirming this position to this disciple that there was no greater work than to follow Jesus. There were others who would see to the task of burying this man’s father.
Dear ones, Jesus’s love and healing in our lives is about each of us individually. He loves YOU, and He lived, died, and lives forever more for YOU. Following Him is not a way to gain the things of this world; our gain in following Him cannot be measured in terms of possessions. We are blessed beyond measure to hear His command, “Follow me.” There is no more important role for us to fulfill in life than to be obedient to this calling. Do this first, and all other matters will be taken care of.