Luke 14:25-33 (NRSV)
Read Luke 14:25-33 on biblegateway.com
Verse 25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, Verse 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Verse 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Verse 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Verse 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, Verse 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Verse 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? Verse 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. Verse 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Devotion
Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
In response to these words, we Norwegians might appropriately say, UFFDA.
But this Semitic word to ‘hate’ doesn’t mean ‘to detest or loathe,’ but rather ‘to detach oneself,’ or ‘turn away from.’ We might say, ‘get some space.’
Jesus knows our lives get deeply enmeshed and entangled in numerous relationships and loyalties. These relationships make their demands on us to the point that sometimes we feel there is little of ‘me’ left-over.
Thus what first appears as an impossible demand in following Him becomes a precious gift. As we give our first loyalty to Him, all other competing loyalties and expectations find their appropriate place. In giving ourselves to Christ, we mysteriously end up with more of ourselves, not less. Amazing.
Prayer
Dearest Lord, grant us the courage to give our first loyalty to you, in the confidence that what you hold out for us is nothing less than life in wondrous abundance and fullness. In Jesus' name, Amen.