There's No Place Like Home - gretchen huesmann

I just finished painting my new kitchen. What used to be “canary yellow” is now a combo of “slate smoke” (gray-blue) and “shoelace” (not quite white, but not cream either…picture a slightly used sneaker shoelace…did I just say sneaker?) The important thing is the kitchen is not yellow anymore – not that I have anything against yellow. But it wasn’t what I chose for this kitchen. I wanted to make it mine.

A dear pastor’s wife long ago told me, “When you move into a new home or parsonage, give it a good cleaning. That way, when the cob webs show up, at least then you know that they’re your spiders.”

My friend was right. This is our 6^th house in 25 years of marriage, so I say with confidence, the more you make a house your own, the more it feels like home.

For some of you 6 houses in 25 years is nothing, especially if you’re in the military. For others it can be staggering as you’ve enjoyed home in the same place for decades. But for pastors’ families, it’s pretty typical. And it can be difficult.

My own dad was a teacher-turned-principal-turned-pastor. The eight children in our family each have a different view of “where they grew up.” The first four were born in California. The final four were born in Michigan and Illinois. We share stories of houses we lived in and “who remembers what” about each. It’s a part of ministry life.

I came across the verse recently when Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) He said this in response to a man who showed willingness to follow Jesus “wherever You go.”

What was Jesus’ point? What He was saying to the man is this, “Are you sure you want to follow me? I sometimes don’t even know where I’m going to sleep at night! I have no home.”

At least not on this earth.

Yes, He was born in Bethlehem. Yes, He was called a Nazarene. But we know from His own words, He really wasn’t welcomed there. (Mark 6)

Jesus’ home was in heaven. He left it. He chose to give it up.

He traded the streets of gold for a stable with a dirt floor. He exchanged His royal throne for a wooden feeding trough cradle. He came in human flesh to reside among us, traveling, teaching, preaching, healing and ultimately to pay the full price for our sins on the cross.

And I wonder if He got homesick.

Since we sold our house last spring we have spoken of the things we remember and miss about our wooded haven. The view, the space, the birds, the quiet – the list is quite lengthy actually.

And there are other things we miss as well. Our awesome friends and neighbors for example. We sometimes find ourselves asking, “What are we doing here? How did we get here?” especially when the waves of homesickness threaten.

Thankfully, we’re close enough to visit our old friends and we can keep in touch on Facebook.

As often as Jesus prayed to His Father, I’m sure he was a little “homesick,” too.

But did He ever ask, “What am I doing here?” “How did I get here?”

Though I do think Jesus could have been homesick for His heavenly home and of course, His Father, I don’t think that He ever questioned His purpose. I believe He willingly gave up the comforts of heaven for “the prize.”

In Hebrews 12:2 we’re told He “endured the cross, scorning its shame.”

Why?

For two reasons. First “for the joy set before Him.” Jesus knew that giving up His heavenly home and suffering and dying on the cross would accomplish our eternal redemption! In simple terms, He decided we were worth it! His love for us outweighed His own desire for golden streets and a the comforts of heaven.

Let that sink in for a minute.

He left what was comfortable, glorious – perfect actually – to come among His creation. To live among that which He fashioned.

I’m reminded one of my favorite school projects, the Diorama. This typical shoe-box creation consisted of a scene from a book or movie.Imagine creating such a tiny existence with glue, thread and wire, then finding yourself IN such a world; small, no, miniscule compared to reality, with dimensions and limitations you never had before.

Perhaps I’m simplifying the incarnation just a bit, but it helps me relate to His choice to live among us!

He came here to live, to serve, and to suffer and die, not because earth was His vacation destination, but because we are His treasured possession.

And He wants us to enjoy His heavenly home with Him – forever.

Which leads to His second reason from Hebrews 12:2 “… (He) sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knew His earthly assignment was temporary. He knew He would return home to His Father.

When my husband or I get nostalgic about our last home or about the other lovely places we’ve lived such as beautiful Washington State and mountainous Idaho, we often remind each other, that our assignment is also temporary. And in fact we have a mansion waiting for us as Jesus promised in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Therein lies the joy set before us, not just to have a great mansion when our time on earth is over, but the joy of residing eternally with our Savior.

The cost of following Jesus can include not having a place to rest our heads, or at least not a permanent residence. And that sometimes means saying good-bye to an old familiar home and pulling out the paint cans in the new one. But let us take comfort in remembering what Jesus gave up for us! And of course as the old hymn reminds us, let us also remember, this is not our forever-home.

I am but a stranger here, Heaven is my home. Earth is a desert drear, Heaven is my home; Danger and sorrow stand. Round me on every hand; Heaven is my fatherland. Heaven is my home. (By Thomas R. Taylor. Lutheran Worship, CPH, 1982.)