When you start a project in your life, either in your personal life or at your job, or join an organization, or even in relationships, are you one to go all in, or do you hold back a bit? Perhaps you are one that hesitates to make any real commitments, possibly out of fear or uncertainty. Maybe you did at some time before, but then felt used or got burned. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, the Lord Jesus speaks about real commitment, and to be willing to give all for Him. Let’s look at what Luke has to say.
As our Gospel passage begins, Jesus said something that has shocked and puzzled people from that very day until now, and that is when He spoke about “hating” one’s family in order to be one of His disciples (vs. 26). Does Jesus really want us to hate our family, our parents, our children, those we hold dear? We have to understand what Jesus is meaning here. Scriptural commands and instructions cannot contradict each other. In the Ten Commandments, God said for us to honor our parents. We can’t really honor them if we hate them, can we? Jesus later told us to love one another (John 13:34-35; John 15:12), and elsewhere in the Bible we are also told to love others (I John 4:7-10). Obviously this must not mean that we loathe and are hostile to our families.
What Jesus is telling us here is that we should have so much love and devotion to Jesus that our attachment to everything and everyone else would seem like hatred by comparison. Have you ever been so enthusiastic and eager over something that everything else just seemed so much less important? A professional baseball player devotes himself to that sport completely. Does that mean he hates other sports, like basketball or football? Not necessarily, but it just seems like it because he is so into baseball as that is all he spends his time doing and thinking about.
Jesus calls for an exclusive commitment from His disciples. Everything else should pale in comparison to our love for Jesus. No affection, however strong, must be permitted to compete with or displace Jesus. No exceptions. He, alone, must be enthroned in our hearts.
One’s devotion to family must be secondary to one’s devotion to Christ. If a family member, such as a parent, sibling, or even spouse, says that we are becoming “too religious”, and perhaps should scale it back a bit, or tries to talk us out of going into some type of Christian ministry or work for the Lord, we shouldn’t put their desires and wishes ahead of the Lord Jesus. That doesn’t mean we hate them, but it does mean putting Jesus first. Unfortunately it sometimes happens that a family member becomes hostile to us because of our faith and wants us to forsake the Lord, in which case we might have to turn away from them altogether. Absolute loyalty to Jesus is paramount.
God does not want superficial followers. Following Christ does not mean a trouble-free life. Christians often face a loss of social status or wealth. We might have to give up money, time, or career. We may be hated, including by our family. Following Christ means total submission to Him, perhaps even to the point of death. There will be a price to pay for the acceptance of Jesus and the Cross.
This was not an easy saying to hear for the people who came to listen to Jesus, nor for us today. However, Jesus’s aim was not to gain appreciative crowds, but to make true disciples. He never adopted His message to the majority preferences.
Family is important, but are we really willing to put Jesus and His will ahead of everything, including them? Are we willing to put Him ahead of our own wishes and desires, as well? Jesus wants absolute, unconditional surrender of all we have and all we are for Him. Our commitment to Him must be without reservations. We must be willing to renounce or give up everything for Jesus, and be ready to put all that we have at His disposal.
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