Jesus said, Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26, from the 15th Sunday after Pentecost)
I love you so much that I hate you! Okay - that is not the normal way of expressing the depths of our love to those who are important in our lives. And yet, should it be?
It only takes a little bit of investigation to reveal that our normal, generic love for others tends to be on the side of selfish and self-serving. (Yikes, really?)
Quick test: do you in general tend to be more loving to those who ADD to your life OR to those who SUBTRACT from your life? (Ever ask why this is?)
Assuming you are like the rest of us and find yourself attracted to those who ADD to your life, consider this: does what your loved ones ADD to your life ever amount to enough? (And even more, will it be FOREVER enough?)
It is in this context that Jesus shares these powerful (and at times confusing) words, specifically directed toward those of us who "love in order to receive": whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother...
It is His way of saying, you can love them all you want, but they will never satisfy what you are looking for and truly need. Therefore "hate" them (or "reject" might be the better translation), and instead of trying to "receive" from them, receive rather from the One whose love DOES in fact satisfy.
AND THEN, having received HIS LOVE, then turn back to your father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister, and LOVE THEM with a love which is focused completely on giving rather than on receiving.
By the way - this is how HE loves you!
Prayer: O Lord Jesus, you who love me for my sake rather than for your own, may your love in me help me to do the same with those around me. In your loving name. Amen.
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