We find many stories in the Synoptic Gospels that show the position of the scribes who were consistently at odds with the Lord Jesus. The scribes and the Pharisees often criticized what the Lord Jesus taught and did, using various arguments. For example, when He healed people on the Sabbath, gathered and ate with tax collectors regarded as sinners to be avoided, and confronted Jewish customs that were strictly observed. Offering criticism is not inherently wrong or improper. However, what transpired between the scribes and the Lord Jesus shows a contrarian attitude: whatever Jesus said or did was always opposed. Such an attitude can lead to a fallacy of thinking called argumentum ad hominem, where one does not refute the argument but instead attacks the person who presents it. The scribes no longer merely offered criticism; they tended to regard whatever Jesus said or did as wrong, deviant, or blasphemous toward Judaism. That attitude was no longer based on critical thought but on dislike of Jesus himself. Yet there is an interesting note in Matthew 8:19: “Then a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’”
If you were in Jesus’ position, you might be extra cautious about that scribe’s statement. You might suspect the remark was insincere, merely a joke, or even a strategy to undermine Him. Indeed, we often read about the scribes’ troublesome behavior toward Jesus’ ministry, but that does not mean all scribes are the same. If we generalize in that way, we may fall into another fallacy. A person who lived in sin in the past is not necessarily still living in sin today. He may have repented and changed. A person’s past should not be the basis for closing off the possibility of repentance. Those who have sinned also have the chance to change. The Lord Jesus does not look only at the past but also at a person’s present condition. He did not answer the scribes’ wrongdoing with harsh words. Even when one of them expressed a desire to follow Him, Jesus responded sincerely and helped open his understanding.
Matthew 8:20 records, “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.’” At first glance, Jesus’ answer seems not to respond directly to the scribe’s statement. The scribe said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” A simple reply that might have been expected would be “yes, you may,” “go ahead,” or “do not.” But Jesus did not answer “yes” or “no.” He gave a much deeper interpretation by testing the sincerity and depth of the scribe’s commitment. Following the Lord Jesus is not merely a decision born of admiration; it is a willingness to accept the consequences of that decision.
The saying that “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” indicates that following the Lord Jesus does not always bring the comfort and security of life that one might imagine. The scribe needed to count the cost of his own words, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Following Jesus wherever He goes means being willing to follow Him even when that journey brings discomfort, loss, sacrifice, and situations that do not align with personal desires. Jesus was not rejecting the scribe but helping him understand the consequences of the decision he was about to make.
God does not reject those who come to Him, join the family of believers, or make a commitment to serve full-time. But God wants such decisions made thoughtfully. One must truly understand what it means to follow Christ, then decide with full awareness. The Lord Jesus does not offer a comfortable following but a life that demands surrender. Therefore, before saying, “I will follow you wherever you go,” everyone needs to understand that there may be times when they must walk with the Lord without having a “place” that provides safety and comfort.