“If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot by My disciple.” (Luke 14:26 NLT)
Some reading the above verse may be thinking: “Whoa! I don’t remember ever reading that verse!”
You see, that’s the thing we must at some point learn about following Jesus – it’s all or nothing! We’re either in or were not; we’re either committed or confused; we’ll either serve Him as Master or ignore Him as irrelevant. And that’s exactly the way He planned it.
C.S. Lewis wrote: “Jesus Christ was either a liar, a lunatic, or He was who He said He was.” In his book Mere Christianity, Lewis also wrote: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or he would be the devil of hell.”
Jesus never intended to be a “good ole boy!” A likeable man whom everyone loved and admired. He was and is the Lord of heaven and earth, Creator, Sustainer, Ruler of all that is or ever will be. This is the One who not only created the billions of stars but knows them each by name. He’s the One who gave you life and not only knows every detail about you – including every thought you have, but the day you’ll have your last thought on this earth.
We don’t hide anything from Him because He is THE Light – He sees everything, and, oh yeh, He sees as clearly in the dark as He does in the light. There’s no such thing as concealing anything from Him. He knows it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly, but you know what?
Amazingly, He still loves you, so much so, He willingly laid down His perfect, sinless, life to die on a cross, not because He deserved to be there. He didn’t. But He knew you did, so He died in your place to pay the penalty for your sin that you could never in eternity ever pay yourself. And all He asks in return is your unrivaled love and allegiance.
Who does that? Only God – the Lord Jesus Christ! Fully God and fully man. John 3:16, says: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” The phrase translated “one and only Son,” is the word “monogenes” (mon-og-en-ace) and it means: “single of its kind, only.”
What does that mean? It means there never has been, nor will there ever be another Jesus. He’s the only One of His kind – the Only begotten Son of God His Father. The only One qualified to lay down His life on our behalf. And you want to know what’s crazy about that? He didn’t have to do it. He chose to obey His Father and trade His perfect life for our life of sin and degradation. Who would do that?
Only Jesus! He’s the One you turn your back on when you choose your way instead of His way. He’s not the Person you like, get chummy with, then continue to live life as you choose. Tim Keller wrote: “Jesus cannot simply be liked, you either kill Him or crown Him in your life.” You either walk away from Him or give Him everything you are or ever hope to be.
Where are you in your life? Do you like Jesus? Or do you hate everyone else in comparison? You choose! But remember, whichever choice you make, you’ll live with that choice for all eternity. And you know what? Eternity is a very long time!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 