THE FAMILY ALTAR 

July 11.

"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain

man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou

goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of

the air have nests; but the son of Man hath not where to lay

His head." Luke 9:57-58.

It is, indeed, a blessed thing to follow the Lord Jesus; but

so many, like the man in our text, want to follow Him from selfish

motives, from the hope of gaining some earthly profit and reward.

To all such the warning words of our Lord Jesus apply: "The

Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." He is poorer than

the hunted beasts of the forest or the birds of the air. He does

not own a foot of soil, but is a homeless wanderer and stranger

in this world. He has no riches to offer His followers ; He promises

them no high stations of honor, no peaceful days of earthly joy

and happiness. To go with Him means to go into poverty, into

self-denial, to bear the cross, to suffer, and to die with Him. Are

you ready to do that ? Alas ! so many refuse to become like the

poor and lowly Jesus in this world; but they that do, 0 how rich

and blessed He makes them ! For He gives them what transcends

all the treasures of this passing world, He gives them Himself

with all the riches of His saving truth and grace and comfort

and mercy. "Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or

sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for

My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit

everlasting life." (Matt. 19, 29.) In His blessed companionship

His followers find the deepest longings of their soul fully and

supremely satisfied, find life, true life, and sweet communion with

God, and immortality in death. Who, then, would not follow

Jesus ?