4/15/2020 edited 12/19/2022

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37-38

 

Yeshua wants us to love Him more than we love our natural family.

• This is because we are either engaged or married to Him.
• The husband / wife relationship is at the heart of any family.
• It is the priority relationship in any family.

‘While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!”  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” ‘ Matthew 12:46-50

 

• Yeshua counts His Disciples as His closest family.
• Disciples do the will of The Father.
• Disciples are scattered Children gathered into Family.
• If you aren’t doing the will of Father you aren’t a Disciple.
• If you aren’t gathered into family you aren’t a Disciple.
• No one can be family by themselves.

Yeshua wants us to love our family of believing Disciples.

• We are to love them as much or more than we love our natural family.

This doesn’t mean that we abandon our natural family.

• We are to love them.
• We have responsibility for them.
• We are expected to fulfill that responsibility.
• It’s just that we are to love Him and His family more than we love our family.

It’s a matter of balance and priority.

• It involves how we spend our time.
• And what we take responsibility for.

Here are some questions to consider.

• They will help you to see where your priority is. 

Questions:

1. Are you taking time out of your life with your natural family to spend time with your spiritual family?
2. Or are you taking time out of your life with your spiritual family to spend time with your natural family?
3. Are you taking responsibility for both?
4. Which responsibility is your priority?
5. Have you adjusted your standard of living in order to be free to take responsibility for spiritual family?
6. Or are you chasing a high standard of living?
7. Has pleasure and entertainment taken over much of your life?

The 3 big questions:

1. What did Yeshua mean by what He said?
2. Did Yeshua really mean what He said about family in the scriptures above?
3. Have I aligned my family relationships to the truth that Yeshua spoke?

To me Matthew 12:46-50 it clearly puts a priority on spiritual family over natural family.

• Mother and brothers with the exception of wife.

We are told in scripture that one who doesn’t care for his family is worse than a heathen.

• It is a matter of degree and priority.
• We can’t stop honoring our natural father and mother.

I see that each of us must seek revelation on this and act accordingly.

• This is how I see it.
• How do you see it?