The astonishing statement that the Son of Man, being the very creator and sustainer of all the universe, who has provided a place for all of creation to lay its head, had in fact nowhere to lay His own head, portrays a shocking revelation of a “homeless” Jesus, both in the natural and in the spiritual. For as we have come to know and understand “the pattern” of the teachings of Jesus, His teachings always refer to truths applying to both “the physical and the spiritual”. Hebrews 8:5 talks of “the earthly” being a shadow and a copy of “the heavenly”. And in describing the earthly as “a shadow and a copy”, it suggests that the “greater truth” always applies to His spiritual truths. Which is precisely what Hebrews 8 continues to suggest immediately thereafter in verse 6, stating that the pattern of “the mountain”, referring to the spiritual “holy of holies”, is a more excellent ministry, one of a better covenant established on better promises. Which is the domain of spiritual truths.

     So if we want to get the real value of the teachings of Jesus, we always need to look behind the veil to what the LORD is always inviting us to step into and beyond. The concept of a homeless Jesus, both in the physical and in the spiritual, comes directly from a conversation recorded in the book of Matthew, and then again also in the book of Luke. In this context, Jesus was talking to a scribe who wished to follow Jesus and become a disciple. In fact, the scribe boasted, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19–20; Luke 9:57–58).

     Now we know that Jesus is both “the foundation” and “the head”. Which is both “the Saviour” and “the Lord”. So when Jesus is talking about no place to lay His head, He is referring to more than just His natural head. Firstly, He is saying that He is looking for a place in which He can be LORD, not just Saviour. So He is referring to a place where He can establish His “headship”. Which is why He is looking for a place to lay His “head”. Which is in “the hearts” of man. So when He is saying He has no place to lay His head, He is referring to not having any hearts to lay the headship of His head down in. Which is to build upon the foundation He lay as Christ the Saviour. Which is the deeper meaning of the notion of “a homeless Jesus” in the spiritual, being the more excellent ministry of spiritual truths.

     By making the statement that the Son of Man has no place to lay His head, just like He has invited us all behind the veil, Jesus is gently knocking and petitioning for us to likewise invite Him through the veil of our soul into the inner sanctuary of our hearts. The more excellent ministry is when Jesus is not only Saviour of our hearts, but also Lord of our hearts. Which is when Jesus is both the beginning, and the end. Which is why scripture says that He who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion in Christ (Philippians 1:6). Which is also why the living word of God says, “The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and patience is better than pride.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). In other words, it is to our gain for the Lord to have His way with our hearts. It is to our gain for Him to carry that which he has begun “through salvation” (seedtime) onto completion through “Christ as Lord” (harvest). And it is only the proud of spirit who resist and stand in the way of that “better thing” of Jesus laying His head down in our hearts.

     But what else is the LORD saying? In Hebrews 8, it tells us that Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also a Mediatior of a better covenant, which is established on better promises. It says that Jesus is a Mediator of a better covenant. He mediates the better promises of the new covenant with the hearts of man only through His “headship” as Lord of our hearts. It is only when we invite Jesus in as Lord too, not just as Saviour, that we inherit the better promises of the new covenant. Which is only available to the hearts of man when the Son of Man has a place to lay His head.

     And what is this better covenant, this new covenant? Salvation is the beginning. Which is redemption. Redemption is only the first step. The old covenant was about restoring man to the previous dispensation of “felllowship” in the Garden of Eden prior to the Fall. Which is the covenant of the intimacy of “visitation”. This is what redemption restores. The new covenant, is the better promise of the “new creation”, which is the more excellent ministry of the Son of Man coming to “live inside” of men, which is the better covenant of the greater intimacy of “habitation” as opposed to the covenant of the lessor intimacy of “visitation”, which is a much better promise than the previous dispensation of the Garden of Eden. Which is the better covenant of the Son of Man having a place “to lay His head”.

     And what does it mean to be able to lay His head? Hebrews 8 goes on to tell us. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. NONE OF THEM SHALL TEACH HIS NEIGHBOUR, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (Hebrews‬ ‭8:10-11‬). Because where He lays His head, “the fullness of the mind of Christ” will now be our daily portion, our heavenly inheritance (Isaiah 11:2; Ephesians 4:15). The fullness of Jesus Himself will now reside with us all as “a permanent habitation” as opposed to a visitation “from time to time”, as was the pattern of Adam going for a walk with the LORD in the Garden. Which is the “better wine” that Jesus promised all who invite the Son of Man into their hearts for a place to lay His head.