Taking scriptures literally can sometimes cause us to struggle.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says if we do not hate our brother and sister, we cannot become his disciple. Yet, in 1st John, Jesus calls us to love our brother and sister. Throughout the Bible, there are contradictions. Is it love? Is it hate? Is it both???
What seems confusing can be more easily understood if you hear what Jesus is really saying. Essentially, “If you allow anyone to entice you to move away from me and God, or get in the way of you loving me, you can’t follow me.” Pastor Eric reminded us that the most powerful scriptures in the Bible ultimately lead us to one singular thing…if we want a relationship with God we cannot let anything get in the way.
So, are we rich toward God or do we let things get in the way? Can we really be the disciple Jesus calls us to be, or do we allow things into our life that distract us? The realization we receive through faith is that we don’t have to be a perfect disciple, because Jesus is a disciple for us.
To listen to the Gospel and sermon in full, click on the link below.