(37) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(38) And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
(39) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Who is the Jesus that you follow? Is he simply a marginalized Galilean peasant who would not hurt a fly? Is he someone who lived a life that was just a great example? Is he someone who came to bring unity to the world at all costs?
Or is He the King of Glory who is worthy of total devotion? Is He someone that you need to love more than anyone else, including closest family members? Does He demand all of your life or is he someone who is happy to just be a part of it? Who is the Jesus that you follow?
This passage tells us that Jesus gives some pretty harsh requirements to be His disciple. He demands total devotion. Of course, that does not mean that we are perfect as we never can be in this world. We all sin regularly. It is His righteousness that gives us our standing in heaven. However, the question is about our hearts. Are our hearts turned toward Him or toward ourselves? Does following Him more closely bring us joy? Is obedience the deepest longing of our hearts or is it sin?
How we answer these questions determines who we are in Christ. How do you answer them?
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