CopyCat 007 - Filial Relationships... The Many Faces of Love Part 2

The Many Faces of Love Part 2

Could It Be that My Most Cherished Friend is Perhaps My Worst Enemy...?

As if exposing the suffocating aspect of out-of-bounds loving feelings wasn't complicated enough, Jesus comes to us with yet another blow to our smug self-satisfaction and false sense of security.

Listen carefully to Jesus' words in recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew 10:34-39:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For 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'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Huh?!!??

Let me clarify this again.

Huh?!!??Huh?!!??

I still clearly remember even though it happened more than a quarter of a century ago when I heard these words of Jesus spoken in my hearing for the first time. At the time, I was very young, very, very ambitious, quite educated atheist and beyond description proud of all my 'amazing' accomplishments which I have achieved by exertion of self-determination, impeccable work ethic I inherited from my parents and through exercising and developing my unique gifts and sense of calling on my life. I thought I was 'all that' and actually had a resume to prove it, if anybody dared question me. Nobody did. At least not until the day I heard Jesus speak, loud and clear, in my own mother tongue, through His Written Word.

My instant gut response to the outrageous claim He had made was,

Who do You think You are to make such outlandish claims?!!! No ONE on this Earth has the right to demand such wholehearted allegiance to him or herself!

I was miffed!

I don't think He really responded in words to my anger and outrage. His response was more like a gentle breeze, like a rumor of a mountain stream carrying a message of love, grace, truth and acceptance... Something like along the lines of...

Great question... good point... Let's work on it...

Work on it?!! What are you talking about?!!! There is nothing to work on! It's a YES-NO question. It's EITHER-OR. I offer no negotiation option to the enemy, whoever he may be.

I admit it - all my life, my youthful zeal has tended to haunt and harass me as my greatest weakness... But, as I am getting older and hopefully, wiser, I've also recognized that I can channel it in such a way that it becomes a wonderful strength. Surrendering not simply to the force of passion, but to the God who has woven is fearfully and magnificently inside our mother's wombs, the God who both gives us the passions and helps us master them by His Holy Spirit to His glory and praise.