| This coming Sunday’s Gospel Reading (for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost) has some very difficult lines in it. The one that currently has my attention is found in the first two verses of the reading. “Now great crowds accompanied (Jesus), and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.’” (Luke 14.25-26) How in the world are we to pair these lines with the Fourth Commandment (honor your parents), the Fifth Commandment (honor life), and the Sixth Commandment (honor marriage)? I admit, this is very difficult … However, we also know that Jesus often uses hyperbole to make a point. Thus, as one reads through this entire section (perhaps starting already in Luke 9 and going all the way through Luke 18), one can see that Jesus is simply (?) making the point that faith in Jesus is more important than anything else in this world. It’s not so much about Commandments 4-6 … he is really talking about the First Commandment (Luther: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”). Idolatry is selfishness, or self-focus/obsession … holding any one thing or person (even our own physical lives/opinions) above Jesus and his Gospel! Malachi speaks similar words in the first verses of his prophetic writings: “(The Lord declares), ‘I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.’” (Malachi 1.2-3) I think a viable paraphrase of this would be, “Jacob lived in my love, but Esau walked away from it.” Or one might say, “Esau (that is, his descendants) walked away from the saving, love and grace filled, promises of God. I imagine most everyone knows that “God is love.” (1 John 4.8b) These lines about hate may be more connected with the verses that follow: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”(1 John 4.9-11) A good question to consider is whether or not Jesus loved his heavenly Father (and thus was obedient to his will to be the propitiation for our sins) more than his earthly family … and even his own life? Did he, in fact, live out Luke 14.25-26 in his own earthly ministry? I have often said, “I hate the word hate!” The word is simply too extreme for me. It tends to be connected to unchecked bias, fear, or mistrust. It speaks of an emotion that is so tenacious and enduring that it cannot be healthy (in my mind) … unless used the way Jesus is using it. This, I think, is what disturbs me most about the majority of the political rhetoric I hear these days. It seems to be filled with hate for those with different ideas, yet what does Jesus say in the beatitudes? “You have heard that is was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5.43-45) How is it that so many who claim to be Christians (on both sides of the aisle) have allowed themselves to become haters!? This sends my mind to the “Gospel in a nutshell”. “God so loved the world (this means every human being) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3.16-17) I am so very thankful that he came into the world to save me (and not condemn me). But, I wonder, am I so thankful that I will use my life to bring his salvation to the world (which includes my “enemies”) rather than using my energy to condemn those with whom I disagree? Am I, a lover or a hater? The good news for me and you is that, in spite of the haters in each of us, we are still – and always will be – loved by the One True God who does not send his Son to us to condemn us, but rather that we might be saved (from our hate, idolatry, and pharisaical attitudes) through him. “Jesus me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” we sing. And I pray this love that he has for me and you will transform how we see the rest of the world … and our own lives … and what Jesus means when he talks about haters in Luke 14. |
Haters!
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