Unrivaled Devotion


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(Mat 10:37)


After teaching His disciples about the cost of discipleship (context Matt 10:16-34), Jesus than said something strange as though there is no connection; he came to bring division (Matt 10:34), not for the worst but for the best… is there a clear cut distinction of our love towards Him. ‘And a man's foes shall be they of his own household’ (Matt 10:36), because family will be the truest test of the good that can become the enemy of the best. Not that He ask us to contradict the moral truths of His Word to honor parents, love our spouses and children, but rather He is asking us if there is any competing devotion even between our closest ones with Him. We are commanded to love each other sacrificially, but never to be drawn away by it from our First Love. Jesus is asking us to show Him unrivaled devotion even when faced with greatest of challenges in sufferings and pain in times or persecution.


……. lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
(John 21:15)


Peter was brought back to the time of his trice denial of Jesus after he declared his total devotion to the Lord and never deserting Him (Matt 26:33). He knew of the failure at the time of greatest threat to his own life. In the face of hardest persecution and suffering, Jesus is asking us to make a definite decision… self, family or Him. Perhaps for Peter the ‘these’ that Jesus was asking him was about the strong ‘self’ in both public heroism and declaration of loyalty, however even the ‘these’ need to be tested with fire of trials. Whatever the ‘these’ are for us, Jesus will confront us not for Himself, but for ourselves to find out if there is indeed unrivaled devotion for Him as He did with Peter… ‘Lord, you know’.


…… should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
(Eze 34:2)


When the question of unrivaled love is settled, His commandment comes to us clearly to live our lives in total fulfillment of His will. A true disciple of Jesus Christ is in total obedience and oneness with the First and Greatest Commandment; the second is the overflowing life to feed His lambs.