Bible Questions and Answers

Matthew 10:32-38"Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.  "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.  'I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  Your enemies will be right in your own household!' "If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, you are not worthy of being Mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than Me, you are not worthy of being Mine.  If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of being Mine.

These words of Jesus are among the most misunderstood of his teaching. I have included the entire context of his remarks as recorded in the gospel of Matthew so that you will clearly see what I mean in my answer. Jesus is saying that those who choose to follow him will face difficult trials. Among the most difficult will be the opposition of family members. It is in this context that we are to love Jesus more than our children - or parents or cousins, uncles, aunts, etc. If our children do not know the Lord and try to force us to decide between him and them, we must always choose Christ. This is when we must love the Lord more than our children. It is a very limited context.

Indeed, in making this most difficult decision should we have to, we are showing a huge amount of love for them because we would demonstrate to them that we are willing to give up that which we hold most precious for the sake of Christ in hope that our witness might well lead our children to him.

I hope you have found this helpful.

God bless,
Mike