Put Him first. Those words seem trite and often used by those who have convinced themselves that Jesus is first in their lives; however, their actions do not convey this to others. If they mention this to those at work or at recreational activities, those associated with them are surprised. Jesus rarely minced words. In Luke 14:26, He makes a shocking statement that modern day Christian’s water down.
Luke 14:26 “ If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“
In this verse, He lays the parameters for testing our love for Him. He uses the word hate when referring to family. In Hebrew and Aramaic, the word “hate” is “meiso.” It is often used for dramatic emphasis in this verse; it means to love less by comparison. He is not instructing us to harbor any bad feelings or to love our family less. This in itself would be a violation of other commands, such as honoring your father and mother and loving your neighbor as yourself. What He is saying is that He must be loved supremely, or He is not loved at all. Our attachment to Him should make us willing to give up all of our earthly possessions, our friends, and even our family in order to obey and follow Him. If we are not willing to do that, we have no true attachment to Him. He is calling for radical Christianity; our devotion to Him must be so deep, so absolute, and so single-minded that every other devotion looks like hatred in comparison.
This command is not asking us to forsake our families, our jobs, or our plans. Yet, these things cannot sit on the throne of our hearts. When a good thing takes the top spot, we have made that thing or person our idol. We cannot be casual admirers or part-time followers, if we are. He says we cannot be followers of Him. He must be the treasure of our hearts. It is an all-or-nothing relationship.
What most do not understand is that the more you love Him, the more you will have a desire to obey. You will love your family more and others better, too. Many run in circles looking for family or friends to satisfy their needs and desires, but when we love Him more, it will free us from expecting them to provide something only God can give. Placing Him first also frees us from fear and anxiety of the future. When we love Him supremely, above our own lives, we understand that He knows all and is working on our behalf. Anything that comes our way will be laid at His feet because we can fully trust Him.
It is this loving Him more than ourselves or anything else in our lives that helps us obey the next command in this passage. In verse 27, Jesus commands that we bear His cross. In biblical times, crucifixion was a form of punishment; part of that punishment was to carry your own cross to your execution. This was a burdensome, disgraceful part of the crucifixion. So, to carry our cross is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. We must be willing to do anything for the cause of Christ, no matter what the world thinks about what we are doing. This is our duty as followers of Jesus.
This does not mean we need to seek out those who oppose Him and try to make trouble for ourselves. We are not called to be troublemakers. It is simply doing what Jesus requires of us. If obedience produces shame, disgrace, or pain, then so be it. Yet, all who claim to be a follower of Jesus are required to take a stand for righteousness’ sake.
Luke 14:27 “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
So how do I accomplish this seemingly overwhelming task? How do I know if I truly love Jesus more than anything?
First, examine your priorities, not just in word, but in action. What does it take to keep you from spending time in the Word every day? What about your church attendance? Do you find yourself justifying missing services because you have another commitment? Are you holding on to someone or something tighter than you are to Jesus?
Second, after you have identified those things or people, surrender them to Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to realign your heart so that He is the undisputed priority of your life in every area of it.
Third, once you have identified your priorities and surrendered them to Jesus, make a plan of action and refuse to let your feelings dictate your following it. We must fight against the flesh if we are going to make much of this life for Christ.
I am so thankful that Jesus loved me with an undivided heart. He was not only willing to put our needs above His own, but He also gave everything for us on the cross. He alone deserves our undivided devotion and love.
This process, this obedience must be an ongoing theme of our lives. The flesh gets lazy, and it wants what it wants, and unless you stay diligent in your relationship with Him, you will be starting all over very often. This will be discouraging, and the flesh will convince you to quit because you can’t do it. This is a tool of Satan. Be aware that the stronger your love grows, the more He will be after you like a roaring lion. But with Jesus, you can overcome Satan’s tactics, and the joy and love will overflow as you grow.
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