LOVING GOD AND FAMILY
Does God compare our love for him with love for our family? The Scripture provides God’s written reports on the comparative love of some biblical characters. All Scripture is given by God for our learning, so that we might have acceptable loving relationships with God and others (2 Timothy 16-17).
ABRAHAM. The Scripture shows that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son to please God. At the Lord’s request, Abraham was about to slay Isaac on an altar when and angel of the Lord stopped him. God provided Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead. Abraham learned that the Lord will provide for those who love and trust him more than all else. (Genesis 22:1-14; John 8:56; John 3:16).
ADAM. Genesis 3 reveals that Adam, the first man, had more love for his wife than for God. When Eve handed Adam fruit which God told them not to eat, Adam ate the fruit instead of obeying the Lord. Adam learned that anyone who loves family more than God is separated from God.
Yet, God, in his great love, did not abandon Adam and Eve and their descendants. God planned before he created Adam to redeem mankind through the atoning death of Jesus Christ his only begotten Son (John 3:16; Revelation 13:8).
ELI. This man was a priest of God but showed more love for his children than for God. Eli allowed his sons to take parts of sacrificial offerings that were to be only for God. In his displeasure, God caused Eli’s sons to die; and gave Eli’s priesthood to another family (1 Samuel 2:28-36).
Jesus always obeyed and pleased the Father (John 8:29)–even to the point of dying as a sacrifice for our sins (Luke 22:42). God has made Christ our high eternal priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. A man who knew Jesus was Lordwanted to stay with his father until he die. Jesus told him, follow me now, and let the dead [spiritually dead without Christ] bury the dead (Matthew 8:21; Ephesians 2:4-5).
The Lord created family to love one another. But he said: “Anyone who loves their father or mother…son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).
The Lord, who has the greatest love for us (John 15:13), would have us evaluate our comparative love; and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to love the Lord more than family (1 Corinthians 11:31-32) First, “Love the Lord your God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind”–Second, love others, including family, as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).
