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Jesus (No Place to Lay His Head)

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.” (Luke 9:58 in the Holy Bible)

I wonder how many of you have taken a long trip or journey. I am talking about moving every day or two to a new place. At the most you stay in one place for a week or so. How about having to carry all your supplies. You don’t stay in any hotels and there are no stores only street markets to shop in. How about having people hate you and even attempting to kill you. You are non-violent and will not fight. In the summer it is very hot up to 120 degrees and in the winter it is cold to freezing and sometimes snowing. Your means of travel is walking. It is often windy with sand and dirt blowing in your face. You meet friends and often stay with them. Imagine this trip taking 3 years at least.

I have walked around the world on foot carrying a 12-foot cross and spent thousands of days and nights on the road around the world. There is just no feeling like it. The only security is God. Often you do not know what you will eat, or where you will sleep or how the people will react. I can tell you it is tough. You must travel light because you must carry everything. My journey is nothing compared to the travels of Jesus but in some measure I can comprehend some of the things He faced.

Lets look at what Jesus said of Himself and His travels. Here is the creator of this earth, the giver of life and the Lord of Hosts who made everything that was made. (John 1 in the Bible)

“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,
But the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

These words are almost too much to comprehend. “NOWHERE to lay His Head!’

Of all the things people want at the top of the list is a place to live or sleep or to lay our head. But Jesus gave up all this for our salvation. Out of His love Jesus left the Glory of Heaven to become Flesh and give His life a ransom for our sin. He gave up earthly security to secure our salvation. He gave up His home that we might have a home in Glory.

Oh, dear friend consider how you treat the homeless or the poor traveler. Are you generous to the unknown stranger? Have you invited in a homeless person to have dinner in that restaurant with you?

I remember being turned away from a rest house in Africa for missionaries. I was dirty and carrying a big cross. For weeks I had looked forward to having a good bath and air conditioning for a couple of nights on my long two-year walk across Africa. I wiped the tears and walked on down the road. A couple that taught school and said they were not believers in Jesus stopped their car and offered me a place to stay at their house just a few miles up the road. I said yes to them and walked on. Soon a car stopped and several men rushed up to me. I recognized one of them as having turned me away from the missionary guesthouse. They said are you the ‘real Arthur Blessitt’? I said I was Arthur Blessitt. They began to apologize and say that I was welcome to come back and it would be a great honor to have me stay there. They said they just didn’t know who I was. Ha?

I told them they had seen the cross and I said I was carrying it and preaching around the world when we met at the guesthouse. I told them it was ok and not to worry about me. Just be careful that you don’t turn away Jesus should He come walking by.

Two atheists have stopped and invited me to their home to rest. I will go where I am welcomed as a person.

Just a note, that couple gave me their bedroom with the only air-conditioner in the house and treated me to the greatest hospitality.

Please read carefully the following words of Jesus:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “And the King will answer and say to them,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. ‘
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand,
‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison,
and did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

Be careful how you treat strangers or the poor or needy or sick or the prisoners and needy.

‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,
you did it to Me.’

‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these,
you did not do it to Me.’

I will add nothing to the awesome and profound and convicting Words of Jesus. Just let them fall where they may. I pray my heart and yours are fertile soil.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1