Jesus First

Jesus makes some pretty outrageous demands on His followers, don’t you think?

In these two verses Jesus pretty much covers the most intimate relationships we can have, outside of marriage, and says if we don’t love Him more than we love our parents, or our own children, and even our very lives, then essentially, we are not worthy of Him!

And if that sounds incredibly demanding, we should probably take note of what He said just before this: ‘“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: a man’s enemies will be the member’s his own household’” (Matthew 10:35-36).

If we read this the wrong way, then we might wonder if this is really what Jesus intended to do: to set everyone against each other. How does that fit with elsewhere when we read in the Jewish law that a son or daughter’s parents were to be honoured (Exodus 20:12)?

So, what does Jesus mean?

Following Jesus is truly the way to find life in all its fullness (John 10:10). But it has always been costly – as well as incredibly life-giving. In this section of his gospel, Matthew records how, when Jesus sent His first disciples out to continue His Kingdom-building work, He knew that they would likely face opposition and hardship. Into a world that would not readily accept His message, He knew that each disciple would need to get their priorities right.  Because the reality is that we need to surrender to every area of our lives, including our most intimate relationships. He knows that that will be a challenge but it’s the only way to be able to make the sacrifices necessary to follow Him wherever He leads.

This reminds me of another outrageous story in the Bible when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved, whom he had waited an awfully long time to receive (Genesis 22). And Abraham was prepared to do just that. Fortunately, God did not let Abraham go through with this terrible action, but provided a ram as a sacrifice instead. But Abraham showed himself worthy of God that day, because he showed his willingness to not withhold his son, his only son. Because of that incredible faith in God, God was able to use Abraham as the founding father of the very people of God. What an honour!

I think what Jesus is saying here is that, if His followers are to truly live as His disciples, they too have to be willing to place everything else second to their love for Him. Even this very day, in some cultures and places in the world, for His followers to choose Jesus is, in reality, a choice that might alienate them from the members of their own family, even from life itself. It’s a terribly high price to pay; but the testimony of countless disciples down the centuries right up to today would say, “It is worth it.” Only if Jesus is absolutely first and foremost in our lives can we truly call him Lord. But that truly is the way to everlasting life … now, and forever.

Are we to seek to love our parents, our children, even our very lives? Of course! Should we be prepared to put Jesus ahead of even these? His answer seems to be, pretty clearly, “Yes!” (Matthew 10:39).