It's one of the verses in the Bible that at first glance seems to make very little sense -
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14: 26)
But Paul, writing to the Ephesians, also says, 'Husbands, love your wives.' How do the two verses square?
Walter Henrichsen explains it better than I can:
"Jesus calls you to an exclusive relationship with Him. He will countenance no competition; your allegiance to Him must be total. Your devotion to Him must be so thorough that the love you have for any and all attachments in life by comparison is like the contrast between love and hate.
"Your loving and hating your wife brings to the marriage relation both its sanctity and security. It gives sanctity, for God instituted the union of husband and wife in the bonds of marriage, and by loving her you become one in a sacred covenant that includes God. It gives security, for when you hate your spouse, she knows that your commitment to her flows out of your relationship and allegiance with to God.
"Work, ministry, and family obligations mean wives and husbands are frequently separated. The fact that your spouse knows that you love and hate her gives her security when you are apart. For although she does not know what you are doing, God does, and if you violate the sanctity of the marriage bond, you have hell to pay.
"Obeying Jesus's command to hate your family is the greatest service you can render them. Their understanding that your allegiance to Jesus Christ is total and exclusive will give them a sense of well-being and security in a way that love alone cannot."
----
Very counter-intuitive at first sight, challenging, and most definitely counter-cultural.
But when one thinks about it, it makes ever so much sense, doesn't it?
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14: 26)
But Paul, writing to the Ephesians, also says, 'Husbands, love your wives.' How do the two verses square?
Walter Henrichsen explains it better than I can:
"Jesus calls you to an exclusive relationship with Him. He will countenance no competition; your allegiance to Him must be total. Your devotion to Him must be so thorough that the love you have for any and all attachments in life by comparison is like the contrast between love and hate.
"Your loving and hating your wife brings to the marriage relation both its sanctity and security. It gives sanctity, for God instituted the union of husband and wife in the bonds of marriage, and by loving her you become one in a sacred covenant that includes God. It gives security, for when you hate your spouse, she knows that your commitment to her flows out of your relationship and allegiance with to God.
"Work, ministry, and family obligations mean wives and husbands are frequently separated. The fact that your spouse knows that you love and hate her gives her security when you are apart. For although she does not know what you are doing, God does, and if you violate the sanctity of the marriage bond, you have hell to pay.
"Obeying Jesus's command to hate your family is the greatest service you can render them. Their understanding that your allegiance to Jesus Christ is total and exclusive will give them a sense of well-being and security in a way that love alone cannot."
----
Very counter-intuitive at first sight, challenging, and most definitely counter-cultural.
But when one thinks about it, it makes ever so much sense, doesn't it?
posted by leah | 3:48 PM
1 Comments:
What a great gem from what must be a great book! hahahaha
yeah, the root of counter-intuitive portion is simply thinking about life, rather than just living it!
never mind in or outside the box, most people don't even think about things!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home