1/14/21 Luke 14:26 [NIV]

 1/14/21 Luke 14:26 [NIV]

"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.

--What? Jesus contradicts himself here, and offends us and our own best understanding of his teachings. How can we obey his command to love our neighbor as ourselves? John heard Jesus teach this statement, yet wrote in his first letter that “…whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

--I now realize he often shakes us up in order to force us to grasp our own contradictions. Unless I truly love God…and Jesus is God… with *all* my heart, soul, and mind, I am simply unable to truly love. In truth, it is impossible for our selfish natures to ever truly love anyone or anything. The abusive husband or father who claims to love his wife or children is no worse than me at my selfish best. As much as I want to truly love God, I will never be able to do so until I give up the illusion that I am capable of loving anyone apart from my love for Jesus Christ.

--Those who attempt to love and follow Jesus out of fear, or a sense of superiority, or with hesitation cannot understand the kind of love that sacrificed itself for the whole world…including our loved ones. This is why Christians fight among themselves, insisting it must be their way or hell will follow, and put themselves and their own needs above anyone. When we say we love God we contradict ourselves. I think we know that.

--Only when we truly love God enough to follow Jesus at all costs, will we ever see *our* love forced aside and experience *his* love reaching and redeeming our loved ones…and our unloved ones as well.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Matthew 25: 14 - 30 - The Parable of the Bags of Gold [NIV]

  The Parable of the Bags of Gold 14  “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.   15  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, [ a ]  each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.   16  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.   17  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.   18  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19  “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.   20  The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been...
Read more

Matthew 25: 1-13 - The Parable of the Ten Virgins [NIV]

  The Parable of the Ten Virgins 25  “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.   2  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.   3  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.   4  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.   5  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6  “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7  “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.   8  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9  “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10  “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were rea...
Read more

2/4/2023 1 John 4:4-5 [NIV]

    “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them”     It comforts me to know there is One within me who is greater than the one who is in the world.  We are not alone: we are possessed.  Within every human is a spirit that dwells in both the spiritual and natural realms.  This consciousness marks us from the rest of creation.  We are not mere animals, not because we have travelled to the moon, but because we imagined we could.  Our understanding of physics and math enables us to take command of our environment and travel beyond our world, but it is incapable of grasping spiritual truth and understanding.  Those who limit their understanding based on ‘science’ or natural wisdom imagine those who believe in God and in angels and demons, heave...
Read more