Matthew 8:18- 22
18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds[f] around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 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.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Samson tied torches to the tails of 150 pairs of foxes to burn down the crops of the Philistines (Judges 15). Jesus called Herod an old fox, and not as a compliment. (Luke 13). And, in Matthew chapter 18, Jesus talked about how even the foxes had homes (holes) while he had nowhere to lay his head. Foxes are noteworthy and recognizable creatures. And their existence and utility are recognized in scripture.
We might pray that God can use us to achieve God’s purposes. (Hopefully without torching us.) We might pray that we use our cunning in a way that we are not criticized. (Like Herod). And we might want to give thanks that God provides a place where we, even as followers of Jesus, can often lay our head. (Unlike our sacrificing Lord.)
Prayer
God, help me to live up to my purpose today as one of your creatures. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
