One more look at the hate religion but love Jesus comparison. What if we hated religion the way Jesus asked us to hate the members of our own family?
May sound like a stretch. But Jesus seems to consider hatred of close relatives a condition of his kingdom. While fulfilling the law that requires us to honor our parents (Matt 5:17) (Exodus 20:12), he said that unless a man hates mother, father, wife, children, and even his own life, he cannot be his disciple (Luke 14:26).
Am guessing that we’d agree that such words makes no sense unless Jesus is warning against a competitive love that displaces him from the center of our heart. At that point love of family becomes idolatry.
Maybe that’s also when religion becomes a problem—when we begin thinking or speaking not only of our religion, but also of our church, faith, Bible, and beliefs– with a focused “first love” that belong to God alone.
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