Still More Surrender

Luke 14:26-33 (NIV) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’  Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?   If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.   

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus had strong words at times for his followers.  How are we to understand that Jesus required his disciples to “hate” their father and mother, and the members of their families?  We know that since Jesus commanded to us to love even our enemies and to care for the members of our families, it is clear that he is using the word “hate” in a different way here.  The jist of his command is for would-be followers of Christ to determine which relationship is most important in their lives.  Unless we surrender the place that our most dear human relationships occupy in our lives to the One relationship that deserves our supreme devotion and attention, we can never become a disciple of Jesus Christ.  This is a spiritual reality.  Unfortunately, many who do not surrender the priority of these relationships to Jesus think that they are good Christians.

Why is this?  Is it because this truth hasn’t been taught to Christians?  Is it because Christians haven’t been listening or understanding the implications of following Jesus?  Maybe it is because following Jesus can be difficult, and it is much easier to hold on to these things than to go through the process of surrender.  Death to our self-centeredness is painful.  Yet, if we would embrace the cross more readily, we will find that dying to our self is not as painful as we thought.  The life on the other side causes us to forget the difficult road we have had to walk.  The glory of the cross is that we get all of Jesus as we die with him.  When we surrender all, we receive all of him.  Let these words from this old hymn be your prayer today.

I Surrender All

by Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter and Winfield Scott Weeden

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

All to Jesus I surrender

Make me Savior wholly Thine

Let me feel the Holy Spirit

Truly know that Thou art mine

All to Jesus I surrender

Lord I give myself to Thee

Fill me with Thy love and power

Let Thy blessing fall on me

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all