BEN F. VICK, JR.
“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-33).
Jesus was drawing great crowds. So, he turned and said to them that if you are going to be my disciple, you need to count the cost. What does your religion cost you? When Araunah offered to give King David his threshing floor, his oxen, and the wood for the offering, “…the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver” (2 Sam. 24:24). A religion that does not cost one anything is worthless. Most will have to pay a great price to follow Christ.
Though Abraham lived under Patriarchy, do you remember what God called upon him to do? God told him, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen. 22:2). Isaac, the son of promise, for whom Abraham and Sarah had waited so long, was to be the sacrifice. You know the account. Abraham did not hesitate. He did not procrastinate. However, if he had been like many today, he would not only have argued with God but would have disobeyed. Like some today, he would have said: But he is my son, made after my image. I will not do it. We are blessed because Abraham obeyed. God told him, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Gen. 22:18).
Does God not make allowance, and exceptions for our friends and family? Hear what God told Israel: “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you” (Deut. 13:6-11). God made no exceptions for friends or family if one was enticed to serve idols. What was to be done to a brother, son, daughter, wife, or friend if they secretly tried to allure one to serve idols? First, God said do not consent, nor hearken nor pity him. Second, do not spare him nor conceal him. Third, he was to be stoned. Do you suppose some back then said: But he is family or my best friend? Did God make allowance for them?
Do you remember the account of Asa, king of Judah, and his having cleaned house in Judah? The Chronicles tell us, “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment” (2 Chron. 14:2-4). Did he have blinders on when it came to his own family? The historian wrote, “And also concerning Maachah the mother [margin: grandmother] of Asa, the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.” So, what! (2 Chron. 15:16.) His dear old grandmother he removed from being queen. But she was a blood-relative?
Ties to our spiritual family, the church, should be stronger than connections to our physical family and friends. Jesus was preaching, and his family stood on the outskirts of the crowd. They wanted to speak to him. Matthew records: “While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt. 12:46-50). There is no record of Jesus’ having interrupted his teaching to allow his family – his mother and brothers- to speak to him. It was not that he did not love them, but teaching his spiritual family was far more critical. Those who do the will of the Father in heaven are our brothers and sisters. We should treasure them, love them, associate with them, and do what we can for them as needed. Bless be the tie that binds us.
So, what were you saying about a wayward family member? Did you say you would make an exception for them?