Scripture Post #503: *FORSAKE FOR HIS SAKE*

Luke 14:

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

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.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

[Disclaimer: The image here (in its original form) was from an image search-engine. The original source of this image is unbeknown to me. I own no rights of this image.]

'Hate,' used here in Luke 14:26, doesn't mean to detest, dislike, or disown—but at the same time, in a way (the way JESUS used it) it does. Going deeper into this, answers can be found. We know that JESUS doesn't want us hating people in the sense where we treat them like trash. We are to love our enemies. JESUS doesn't want us loving our enemies, yet hating our families and ourselves. 

Matt. 5:43: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy."

V. 44: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

The answer to why JESUS used the word 'hate' in V. 26 can be found in V. 33. 

Luke 14:33: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

It's about forsaking. To *FORSAKE FOR HIS SAKE*! Our faith in JESUS, our Christian faith, the faith we walk in is:

(F)orsaking 

(A)ll

(I)

(T)rust

(H)im

To be a Disciple of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, (a follower of HIM) is to put everything else behind you and make HIM your only focus. This thing is about denying ourselves. 

Mark 8:34: "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

I hate/forsake/deny myself, family, friends, my agenda, and I follow JESUS! It's not about me. I don't care about those other things; I want JESUS. I put all things behind me and look to my LORD. Everything must get out of the way of my LORD. It's GOD 1st. Nothing comes before GOD. Nothing. 

Originally Published: Tue. 1/28/14