HATE YOUR FAMILY

Luke 14:25-35

Loving Jesus should be so intense that it makes everything else look like hate.

Jesus was traveling with his followers to Jerusalem on his way to crucifixion.  He said some hard and confusing things.  Some accepted his message and followed him.  Some tried to delay their response to his message.  Some rejected his message outright and were at odds with those who believed in him; sometimes within the same family.

Jesus proclaimed exactly what he expected of those who would follow him as disciples.  The concept of a disciple includes the idea of following someone, but goes far deeper than a mere "fan."  A disciple wants to learn and to practice what he learns; a disciple wants to fully imitate the one he follows to become more and more like him.

The level of commitment required of a disciple is more than a mere verbal commitment.  It necessitates being so committed to Jesus that the love for family, even the love for self, pales in comparison.  The Greek word used here for the word hate is a "comparative" word, rather than an "absolute" word.  Rather than the way we use it, (detest or abhor), in Greek it carries the idea of "loving less."  Thus the concept is love everything, and everyone else, less than you love Jesus (God).

In general, our society has an unhealthy preoccupation with self and selfish interests. Paul noted that in the last days people would become lovers of self and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  By this criteria we can safely say that we are in the last days.  Jesus said that a disciple has to bear his own cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus did not use the term cross to refer to anything that we might find merely bothersome.  It referred to an implement of destruction and death.  To bear is to endure without resistance, to give birth.  We are to acknowledge and endure without resistance the fact that we will die.  We may know when this will be, as Jesus did, or we may be uncertain as to when it will occur, BUT we are aware of the certainty that our death, our physical destruction, will occur.

Watkin's Tower (left) Eiffel Tower (right)

Jesus wants us to "calculate the cost" of following after him.  More than just an emotional reaction, our decision to become a disciple of Christ is to be a conscious decision.  Jesus provides some example of projects begun without adequate preparation and the ridicule that such folly brings.  We need to consciously consider just what it means for our individual selves to become a disciple of Christ and be ready, willing and able to carry out the project to completion.  We are the "job foreman" for Jesus' construction project (our growing to become more like him).  We need to carry out the project to completion so that we do not bring ridicule and derision upon Christ.  See Sir Edward Watkin's Tower.

Humans can make a "god" of almost anything.  Worshipping that "god" will keep us from committing to Jesus.  You need to be willing to let go of everything in order to follow Jesus.  You will, from time to time, fail.  The apostles did, we all do.  But you need to be SO committed to the project that you get up and continue on.  

1890 to 1907; as far as Sir Watkins got.

Giving up on working on the project is like salt that looses its flavor.  Salt is a preservative and a seasoning.  If it not good for either of those functions what CAN you do with it.  You can't put it in your gardening soil, it will kill the plants.  You can't put it in your cess pit, or compost pile, when used as fertilizer it will again kill the plants.  It can be thrown on the road where you DON'T want plants to grow.  When you choose to abandon "Jesus' construction project" you become like salt that has become useless.  

Jesus clearly wanted his audience to be receptive to his message, but he did NOT sugarcoat his message to attract larger numbers. To those who listen and obey Jesus compared them to a wise man who built his housing project on a rock solid foundation.  To those who rejected, forgot, or neglected the project he likened them to the follow of building a housing project low in the bottom of a creek bed, on sandy soil.

Recognize that one day your body WILL die and be destroyed.  Plan for life after death and follow what Jesus teaches.  Influence and be a constructive seasoning for others to encourage them to do likewise.  Make a conscious decision to follow Christ and make it as seriously as you would undertake any project – IF NOT MORE SO!