Our Lord Jesus was still on the
way to the city where he would lay down his life through a violent death. From
the beginning Jesus had in mind going up the city of God where he would be
perfected as the Son of God (Hebrews 2:10). It’s been designed and planned even
before the time began and prophesied and foretold centuries and centuries
through the Law and the prophets. He had to pay the price for the world to be redeemed
and released from the bondage and captivity of darkness and confusion. He had
to be the ransom for the sin of the world which meant to be crucified on a
cross like a criminal because it was the way to life.
“Large crowds were traveling
with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not
hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their
own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their
cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’” (Luke 14:25-27)
What our Lord Jesus says seems quite
a shock as it is uttered. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a
person cannot be my disciple.” How can we understand when our loving and merciful
Lord says to hate our parents, wives and children, siblings, and even our own
life? What it really hits the listener is the word, ‘hate.’ God told the
prophet Malachi that he had loved Jacob but hated Esau.
“I have loved you,” says the
Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have
turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert
jackals.” (Malachi 1:2-3)
The Scripture says that God is
good and holy which means he cannot be wicked and evil. How can God know then
which is good or evil. Since he is good he simply relates to himself to know
the difference. So, when the scriptures say that he hated Esau it means God
does not accept him because he continually refused to value the birthright and
pursued his fleshly desires like filling up his stomach whatever cost even
forfeiting the inheritance as the first son. In fact, it is impossible for God
to receive Esau as what he was in the flesh unless he changed his mind and
repented of trespasses and transgressions.
Our God is good which means he
never changes or bends by any circumstances ever. He is just and faithful all
time now and forevermore. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He always
acts in truth. There is no favoritism upon flesh and blood. Anyone violates the
Law of God cannot escape the consequence of his wrath at any moment in the
visible and invisible realm. Anyone who violates the law of gravity cannot
escape the consequence of jumping into conclusion. Though it may not happen immediately
it doesn’t mean that they can escape from the wrath of God. Our God delays his
judgment in longsuffering and patience, giving numerous opportunities to
rethink and repent sincerely before it’s too late.
“But do not forget this one
thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as
some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)
God is good and unchanging so that
we can trust in him now and forevermore. Why did God love Jacob but hate Esau?
Those who know about Jacob may have some difficulty how God loved him. God does
not love according to what we do but according to what we are. The way God
thinks and acts is different from what we think and act. Prophet Isaiah
prophesied why at times we have difficulties to understand why God doesn’t act
quickly enough like getting rid of the evil ones on the face of the earth like
Hitler or ISIS.
“For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
It is not possible for God to
hate anyone the way we often do to others caused by self-centeredness and
self-righteousness. It is true that God hated Esau. What it means is that it is
impossible for God to accept Esau who rejected and disobeyed him. God cannot
accept anyone who rejects him for he is holy. Nor does God force anyone to obey
him. It doesn’t mean that God is done with anyone who once disobeys him. When
God rejected Cain and his offering the man was angry. However, God visited him
to tell the truth.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why
are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not
be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;
it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’” (Genesis 4:4-7)
Prophet Isaiah prophesied that
God wanted the people to come and reason with him who was ready to cleanse their
sins like scarlet and to make them as white as snow.
“Come now, let us settle the
matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are
willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you
resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord
has spoken. (Isaiah 1:18-20)
This is exactly what our Lord
Jesus is saying here unless anyone hates his parents, wife and children, brothers
and sisters and even his own life he cannot be a disciple of Jesus. If anyone
wants to be a disciple of Jesus and follow him must love God first and
persistently than anything else even if they may be parents, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, even his own life.
And Jesus says “And whoever does
not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27) What
our Lord is saying here is that he is going to die on a cross in our place for
the sin of the world. Likewise, anyone who wants to be his disciple must carry
his cross and follow him. What is cross? It’s the symbol of death, shame,
guilt, despair, humiliation, and defeat which are caused by the sin. Although
our Lord Jesus was sinless God made him sin for us so that in him we may be righteous
in his sight.
“God made him who had no sin to
be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians
5:21)
This is the way, the life, and
the truth and no one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6). The
enemy of race is not humans. It is sin since Adam fell. There is no way for the
fallen race to have peace with God other than through the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the righteousness of God coming down from heaven. He has
went back to the Father through the violent death on the cross of Calvary. He has
paid the full price for ransom to redeem us from the bondage of destruction and
ruin.
Then our Lord Jesus illustrates
further why it is the way in two stories. One is the story of a builder and the
other is that of a king who is about to go to war.
“Suppose one of you wants to
build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you
have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not
able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person
began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to
war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is
able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty
thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still
a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.” (Luke 14:28-32)
Both cases tell the obviousness
of measuring the feasibility and viability of completing the job. It may be
called the feasibility analysis which estimates the cost before launching the
building project and going out to war. The story gives serious warning if not
doing the estimate. That unwariness and imprudence may invite a ridicule or a disaster.
So, the point of the story is to yield and submit before falling into beyond recoverability.
Life is too big for us to handle it. It is too complicated and complex to
figure it out not to mention to build it. It is beyond our capability to make
peace with God. We humans are inherently lost and do not even know the fact
that we are completely lost. That’s what our Lord is saying here.
“In the same way, those of you
who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. ‘Salt is good,
but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit
neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has
ears to hear, let them hear.’” (Luke 14:33-35)
This is a serious statement
which is true. Anyone who does not give up everything he has cannot be his
disciple. We don’t have to think it strange at all for God made us that way
from the beginning. The Scripture never says that God let us live at all our
costs no matter what. That’s not true. We are designed and made to live at all costs
of God himself. Apostle Paul states clearly the fact that we are made to be God’s
holy temple.
“Do you not know that your
bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received
from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God
with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Our Lord Jesus revealed the
secret of living as a man in the earth. Though he was the Son who received all
power from the Father, he could do nothing by himself. In fact, he could do
anything he wanted to do like recreating the whole universe after destroying
the corrupt humanity and the universe, but he didn’t. Rather, he obeyed the
Father to the point of death, giving his life for the sin of the world.
“Very truly I tell you, the Son
can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing,
because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
That’s the secret of having a
real life. Our Lord Jesus demonstrated that he became nothing, being emptied himself
and giving up all the rights he begot as God and obeyed the Father by giving
his life unto the One who entrusted him. Apostle Paul says so pertinently
regarding a new life in Christ that all competency is from God, not from us.
“Such confidence we have through
Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for
ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)
Jesus says his disciples that
they are salt and light in the world. And he gives a word of warning not to
lose its saltiness because it will be useless to anything and thus thrown out. Salt
is for prevention of corruption. It simply melts away and disappears of its
form and yet powerfully and invisibly works for preservation. That’s the
authentic Christianity. We’re not called to advance our program or agenda, but
to be salt in the midst of wolves in the world, continually denying ourselves
and taking up the cross and following the Master.
Prayer: Thank you Father for
teaching us the secret of life in Christ that by being nothing in him we shall
live as the salt of the world. In Christ’s name. Amen.
December 3, 2015
© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights
Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment