In our last article we read about Jesus' requirements for discipleship. Wow! What does Jesus mean when He says "If anyone comes to me and doesn’t hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brother and sister, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”?Our love and devotion for our Savior would seem as hatred in comparison to the love for our family members. Let me give you an example: you are a follower of Christ and your spouse is asking you to lie in your taxes so that you can get a larger income tax return, but you want to please God by not lying. Your spouse may take that as a rejection and may say that you don’t love her/him. This verse doesn’t mean at all that we must hate others, for the Bible doesn’t contradict itself (love one another.) It does mean that we are to have a love so deep and strong for our Lord manifested through our obedience, that others would perceive it as if they are second place, that they are not important, or that they are hated. This is the kind of love that we should have for Him; anything short of that would disqualify me as a true follower or disciple of Christ.
Jesus says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Luke 10:27
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