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RELATIONSHIPS

One of the most startling things we ever see Jesus say is what you’re about to read in Luke 14. People are starting to follow Him in huge numbers and He wants to let them know that He isn’t just some great teacher or some traveling show; He is God in the flesh and He is calling us all to a completely different way of life...a life that is 100% dedicated to Him. But, to get His point across, He uses some very strong language; He basically tells everyone in the crowd that day that if they don’t hate their entire family (parents, siblings, spouse, etc.), then they can’t follow Him.

Wait…what?! Isn't this the same Jesus that preached a revolutionary kind of love, that healed and redeemed the outcasts, and taught us even to love our enemies? What gives?! Well, Jesus did something a lot in His teaching to get His point across and it’s called hyperbole — if that’s a vocab word of the day for you, it basically means drastically exaggerating to make a point. Obviously, Jesus (the embodiment of love) doesn’t want you to hate the people closest to you; He’s saying that your love and dedication to Him should be so strong that no other love can compare with it. In other words, the love you have for your family is almost nothing – it might as well be hatred – next to how deeply you love Jesus. Make sense?

But why make such a strong point, Jesus? Well, He knows us and He knows our tendencies. He knows that we have this gravitational pull to cling to the people we can see and neglect the One we can’t. Jesus is the only one who can truly offer joy, satisfaction and hope…but we can’t DM Him or give Him knuckles. Because of that, there’s this tendency to look to other relationships to provide what only Jesus can. It could be parents, it could be friends…a lot of times it ends up being a boyfriend or girlfriend. These can all be great relationships and Jesus wants us to love those people; He just wants to be the most important relationship in your life.

So, are you clinging to a relationship that’s getting in the way of your walk with Jesus? Are you afraid to readjust your priorities or maybe even let that person go, even though you know deep down that’s what Jesus wants? Listen, the reason Jesus wants to be #1 in your life is because He knows He’s the only One that can provide what you’re really looking for. It’s for our own good that He asks to be our top priority! But He doesn’t force Himself on anyone, so it’s up to you…will you make Him the most important person in your life? What might need to change for that to happen?