I was watching TBN some days ago and a certain pastor (I can't remember his name) was preaching about the little things that steer us off the path as we follow Christ. In his preaching he referred to Luke 14:26:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple."
He mentioned that this verse was one of, if not the most controversial verse in the Bible because the One who told us that love is the greatest commandment of all the commandments, and that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, and that hating our brother is synonymous to murder and that we should love each other just as He loved us, is the same person telling us that we should hate our brother, family, neighbour, friend, even our life. Wow Jesus, what is it you really want us to do? Hmmm. Let's see...
This verse is only controversial when we look at it in its literal sense. It contradicts everything Jesus said when we try to understand what He was saying literally. The Bible is not called the Book of Truth for nothing. Jesus did not say He was not a liar for nothing. He said all this because it is true. Yes, He does not lie. And if we believe the Book of Truth is the truth, then I guess we have to conform to what the Book says right? Yes! So now, since we cannot look at the verse literally because it makes it seem like Jesus is contradicting Himself, which of course He is not, then we have to look at it in another way. The only other way.
Remember God told us that He IS a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) and so He does not want us to put anything before Him. Okay, I hope that has got you thinking. Now let's see. If the Bible is the Truth and God does not want us to put anyone or anything before Him, I guess that must include our brothers, family, neighbours, job, material possessions, aspiration, even our lives. I hope things are taking shape now.
Okay so hate and love are opposite poles. Agreed. But can we say that hate is a very very very very very very very extremely toned down version of love. I think that is possible. In another sense, hate can mean that you do not love as much. So now let's look at what Jesus said using what we have discovered about hate. I hope you can see the end of the tunnel now. Anywho, Jesus said we should hate the people around us and ourselves if we want to be His disciple. Does this mean that Jesus is telling us to our love for the people around us and ourselves should be very very very very very very very very very very very very extremely toned down? Absolutely. So if our love should be so toned down, then who should the excess love go to? Evidently if we are going to become His disciples and tone down our love for ourselves and the people around us, then the rest of the love should go to the person we intend to follow. Him. I think things are getting clearer now. So basically, Jesus is telling us that if we want to follow Him, then the love that we must have for other things aside Him must be considerably and I mean considerably toned down, to the extent that it is almost considered hate, in comparison. I think everything fits now. In other words, Jesus must be placed first!
Jesus was not telling us this because He is a selfish man and wants all the love in the world for Himself. He told us this because He knows how much the things around us can cause us to be distracted, and how the things we place in precedence to Him can cause us to relegate Him to the background. But the Kingdom of God does not work that way. It requires all the commitment to be able to do the work that it has been established for. So yes, Jesus did have a reason for demanding all of our dedication. This is because He understands the duty that He has set before us, and because He still loves us and wants us to have our free will, He has given us the condition, "If". He has left it to us.
Jesus understands. But do we understand? Are we willing to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 14:27)? Can we carry the burden? Do we love Him that much to sacrifice all else? It is tough, I know. But with the strength of the Lord we can become Pauls in our own way and live our lives for Christ. It is difficult, I fully understand. I would not say that I have forsaken everything else, but I am willing to try and I hope you are to. Because the God who called us to His eternal glory will [carry us to completion and] will Himself make us strong, steadfast and firm (1Peter 5:10).
God bless you!! Live for Christ!!! <3
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