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.
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