Jesus on Homelessness vs. Odin on Owning a Home

From Google AI:

Jesus: "The Son of Man Has Nowhere to Lay His Head" 

• Context: In Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58, Jesus tells a potential follower that "foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head".
• Meaning: This statement emphasizes the "cost of discipleship," indicating that following Him requires a willingness to forsake material comforts, security, and permanent housing.
• Theological Perspective: Jesus was not encouraging perpetual homelessness but highlighting a detached life focused on spiritual kingdom work rather than accumulating property. It suggests that earthly security is temporary, and true "rest" is found in the spiritual, not the material.
• Advice: Disciples must prioritize the kingdom of God over domestic comfort or family responsibilities (e.g., "let the dead bury their own dead"). 

Odin (Hávamál): "One’s Own House is Best" 

• Context: In Hávamál (sayings of Odin), particularly stanzas 36-37, Odin advises in favor of having a permanent home.
• Meaning: "One's own house is best, though small it may be; each man is master at home; though he have but two goats and a bark-thatched hut, 'tis better than craving a boon".
• Perspective: This advice stresses the value of independence, dignity, and self-reliance, equating ownership with personal mastery. It warns that begging or relying on others' hospitality ("sitting at another's bench") leads to becoming a burden.
• Advice: It is better to have a modest home and be master of your own destiny than to live without a home or in constant, humiliating dependence on others.

We see this Norse advice carried out in Mormonism. In 1841 for example, a revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 124 instructed Mormons to build a home for Joseph Smith, known as the Nauvoo House, to serve as a boarding house and a permanent residence for him and his family. This directive emphasized providing a comfortable dwelling for the Prophet in Nauvoo, Illinois.