“Christ’s cosmic purposes find particular expression in each and every individual human story.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 3, 2022
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.” Matthew 8:20, ESV
What did Jesus mean when he said he had “nowhere to lay his head” in Matthew 8? Though it is true that he was always on the go and didn’t have a home in the way we might define a home, surely he slept and found ways to rest and renew his body on a daily basis. To be human is to need the refreshment of sleep, and nowhere in Scripture is it suggested that Christ was exempt from this bodily need. And so, there must be something else going on here, a deeper meaning to which he is pointing.
In the history of Christian interpretation of Scripture, these words have often been understood to point to the evil and unrest in our world, the troubles that plague us in every generation. Christ, who is himself the pure uncreated light of God, cannot make peace with such brokenness or let himself find comfort within the chaos. A hole is a perfect match to the temperament and nature of a fox, and a nest to birds, yet darkness is no home for light, nor confusion for the author of order.
At a macro level, this is the heart of Christ’s mission to heal the world and bring the life of the Kingdom into every corner of creation. However, his cosmic purposes also find particular expression in each and every individual human story. Though you and I are one of billions of people alive today, not even to mention those who’ve come before us, we are never anonymous or unknown by our Lord. Every single soul is precious to him and capable of either working with him as agents of his peaceable kingdom, or contributing to the sickness and unhealth of our world that he so deeply longs to heal.
And so, to make this reflection highly personal, ask yourself today, “Am I a place of rest for the Lord?” As St. Ambrose once said, you must strive to become a person of peace, open to the Lord, that “He may rest His head on you, for He has no rest save on one who is humble and quiet.” As you open yourself to the transforming power of his grace, you become that which you were not. Once defined by self-love and pride, you now are becoming an expression of his kingdom, humble and meek, a peacemaker who comforts others in their distress. Strive to live this way of life, and the Lord will see in you a place to rest his head.
Prayer
Father, may I become by grace a person of peace upon which your Spirit rests and lingers, continuing your work of transformation within me and in our world, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Prayerfully ask yourself this question throughout the day today: “Am I a place where Christ can lay his head?”
Related Reading
John 14:27; Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 13:11
Worship Resource
Mosaic MSC: Tremble
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