The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ: Episode 28

Rev. Sun Myung Moon: The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ
Chapter 4: With The Disciples, Nowhere to Lay His Head, Page 82-83

Nowhere to Lay His Head

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)

 

Before you speak of any person as being great, think about the meaning of greatness. Of all the people throughout history, we can speak of only four as the greatest saints: Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, and Buddha. Did they have big, fancy houses and lots of possessions? No, all of them were persecuted and despised in their own time. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Is that characteristic of a great man?

During his time Confucius was like a “nameless dog,” as he put it, the way people pushed him around. He didn’t have a regular job, but chose to beg for his food and to travel teaching and learning. Buddha was born into a palace as a great prince, but he gave up all that and embraced hardship instead. He went to the mountains to pray and discover spiritual truth. No one really wants to live a difficult life, but these four men chose such a life, and today everyone considers them great.

The Things We Want to Be Proud Of
October 25, 1981

With your own parents even trying to kidnap you and persecution coming on all sides, you are writing the greatest poem and creating the greatest masterpiece of art. We are becoming the creators of great things. Expensive trees are the ones that have developed unusual shapes or symmetry in the course of their rugged lives.

The Ones Who Can Receive God’s Love
October 1, 1977