Many years ago in an Indiana town I was preaching in a revival type meeting and an older gentleman came to be baptized at the conclusion of the service. We talked briefly and he affirmed his faith in Jesus as Lord but when he came out of the dressing room he stopped at the baptistry and asked me to wait a moment. He turned and went back into the dressing room and came out carrying his wallet. I hadn't seen this happen before so asked if he was afraid someone might steal his unguarded wallet. His reply went something like this: "No sir but I have lived all of my life for selfish things and now I want to follow Jesus all the way so I think I need to baptize my wallet too!" I didn't argue with that.
One of the hardest things Jesus ever said, at least in my mind, is these words:
"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. And anyone does not
carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26-27 NIV
To me, the word "hate" is such an ugly, unnecessary word in this context. I fully understand hating sin and the weaknesses of the flesh all of us struggle with. I get it that we must learn to love those who see us as enemies and vice versa. But my parents, my wife and kids, my brothers and sisters? Even my own life?! Then there is this word "cannot". That word is emphatic and has no hope in it. For a long time I have struggled to understand what Jesus is telling me to do because I too am an "anyone".
I have come to realize that Jesus' words must be interpreted within the context of the moment. Luke says that Jesus was being followed by large crowds who traveled with him. Not much different from today. Probably most of them were merely curious to see the next miracle he would perform than what he had to say. Or maybe these large crowds were just checking him out to compare him with the reported 60 or so others who had come on the scene claiming to be the Messiah. He did have a reputation of being somewhat subversive in his teaching about their religious leaders and the rules and regulations they had been taught all their lives.
In today's context, being a "church goer" or a "believer" is not the same thing as being a true "follower" of Jesus. The word "disciple" literally means putting your feet into the footprints of Jesus and walk where he walks. To do that, you must keep your eyes on him, not your parents or your family or even your own likes and dislikes. Many of those early Christ followers were ostracized, disinherited and disowned by their own families simply because of their faith in Jesus. Read the book of Hebrews carefully and you will understand that many of them were turning back to the familiar Judaism they had been reared in. The social pressure had to be enormous for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Is Jesus telling me that I must gather my parents and my family together and tell them I "hate" them? I hope not because I could never do that. I love them. So, I have to use a little common sense here and see Jesus' words in a realistic way. I need to be shocked into the reality that nothing and no one in my life is as crucial as my relationship with Jesus as Lord. He will be first or not at all. Is that difficult to do? I'll let you answer that for yourself.
My new brother or sister, following Jesus is a whole new way of thinking about how I relate to others, even in my own family. It can cost you relationships that you have had all your life but please don't surrender to the pressure that seeks to elevate any of them above Jesus. There is no conflict between being a Jesus follower and other relationships in your life. He wants you to be a model for them of what the love of God really is so take some time to read Matthew 5, 6 & 7, the Sermon On The Mount, and write down the specifics you find there about how to relate in this new way in your world. Above all, pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit to lead and instruct you. He is your guide in all things related to discipleship.
Be blessed until next time.
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