Daily EncouragementSample

The implication here is that a person needs to think carefully before volunteering for the service of the Lord. Most of his followers were conscripts rather than volunteers. This was true of the enthusiastic crowds (Luke 14:25ff) and of individuals, like the one being addressed here. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of the straight furrow, and it calls for a forward-looking eye and a devoted heart.

It is clear that devotion to the king must come before love for one’s family. This is Jesus’ reply to the plea, “but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.” The principle is this: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

There is a healthy emphasis on the family in the Church today, but the emphasis goes too far if it negates this teaching. Of course, our Lord has a very real concern for the family; he remembered his mother when he was on the cross, bearing the burden of the world’s sin.