“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)
There is
a cost to pay to follow Christ. It seems to be a major problem for many of us today. Fortunately, the problem is easy to overcome. We struggle because in the United States, our words
love and hate lie at opposite extremes. They are opposed to one another. In the Middle Eastern mind and thought, however, they serve as
comparative words, not opposite words. So Jesus is not commanding us to hate everyone who means a great deal to us; in fact, He’s saying that our love for them must pale in comparison to our love for God. We should love God so supremely that any other love looks like hate by comparison.
To be His disciple, we must place
His will above our own. Many still will not understand, especially family who have their own agenda for their relatives. However, we still must make a definitive choice. We cannot serve two masters.
How many will pay the cost?
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