BEWARE OF THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

 

 

Most of Jesus’ teachings cannot be taken literally, like those that tell us to pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands if they cause us to sin. Of course, even if we do this, we will still sin. I knew a blind man who had left his wife for his secretary. Instead, these teachings mean that plucking out an eye or cutting off a hand is a small price to pay for eternal life.

 

There are many other teachings that must be taken figuratively like:

 

·       “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26–28 (ESV)

 

Should we all literally be carrying a big cross around with us? Or should we literally hate our “father and mother and wife and children?” If we did so, we would be violating other commands of the Scriptures. Instead, we know that Jesus is talking figuratively. He wants us to understand that He must come first in our lives. A parallel verse proves this:

·       “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)

 

This leads us to a more controversial verse:

 

·       “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

 

What does this mean to “renounce all?” Once again, it means that we need to be aware of the cost of following Jesus. He must be first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). In this context, he likens serving Him to a king going to war. If he is wise, he must first be aware of the costs and only proceed if he is willing to pay the costs.

 

Many wrongly cite this verse as proof that we should literally give up every possession we have to follow Jesus:

 

·       Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:33–34)

 

Of course, Jesus must be our primary possession, but does He expect us to literally sell everything we have? Of course not! His own disciples were not required to sell all their clothing including their underwear. Nor would he expect us to deprive our children of their eyes, hands, shelters, or underwear. Instead, this teaching must also be understood figuratively. How? Jesus likened our possessions to our “treasure.” If our wealth and possessions are our treasures, they, not Jesus, will control our heart. Immediately before these verses, Jesus revealed that His concern was about how our fears can dominate our lives:

 

·       “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

The Father wants us to have everything! Therefore, don’t worry about your future. Don’t cling fearfully to your possessions. God will provide.

 

Instead, there is nothing wrong with preparing for the cold with clothing or filling the pantry for times of drought, if the Lord is first in all our considerations. The Bible even commends those who do this very thing. The ideal wife and mother devotes herself to the material needs of her family:

·       She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard…Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. (Proverbs 31:15–21)

 

Clearly, this ideal woman does not deprive her family of everything they own. She does not make her children go naked in the winter.