Following Christ Above Relatives
"And He said unto another, Follow thou Me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
"And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house" (Luk_9:59-62).
If we are going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we must place Him above father, and above mother, and above husband, and above wife. In all things Christ must be first (Col_1:18).
We should remember the words of Christ: "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me". If we are going to follow Christ Jesus, we must not say, "Suffer me first" to do anything. It is all right for us to love the ones at home. The fact is, that if we love Christ truly, we will love them all the better; but we cannot even obey father or mother, if it means disobedience to Jesus Christ.
Many a missionary has been called upon to leave his home, and all of his loved ones in order to follow his Lord. When Christ says, "Follow thou Me" we must not turn so much as one wistful glance backward, toward those human environments, which might woo us from the will of God. Jesus said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God".
"Remember Lot’s wife"! When she started out with Lot, and her two daughters, to flee from Sodom, she left behind her two other daughters, and two sons-in-law, many friends, and all of her earthly possessions. Therefore she turned and looked back. Her heart was still in Sodom. Because of this infidelity to God, she became a pillar of salt; a warning to all who turn and look back.
We should always be able to say with the poet:
"Fade, fade, each earthly joy,
Jesus is mine;
Break ev’ry earthly tie,
Jesus is mine."
Young people, particularly, must guard their love life. They must allow no love to creep into their hearts that would cripple their love for Him. "It is permitted unto a woman to marry only in the Lord." A divided home is sure to spell spiritual disaster. How can two walk together except they be agreed? ‘What part hath he that believeth with an infidel, (or with an unbeliever)"?
We must put Christ above all earthly ties.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR