We are called to put Jesus first, even before our own families. We are called to receive him and anyone he sends to us. If we put anything else before Jesus the enemy is able to use this as leverage to pry us away from Jesus. He convinces us to spend so much effort trying to save our lives and those of our loved ones that we ultimately end up losing our souls. What does this mean? When our desire for life and comfort causes us to sin for the sake of acquiring or maintaining it we end up losing our souls to try to save our live sin the flesh.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
We put Jesus first precisely by receiving him and those he sends. We welcome whatever teachers Jesus sends us even if they bring us a difficult word. Even if they are controversial and make us unpopular we are still called to welcome them.
Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
This is essential because eventually we face times when there is a "new king, who knew nothing of Joseph". When this happens we have to be ready to endure for the sake of Jesus. Even if we are reduced to cruel slavery as are the people of Israel we must still not cave in and abandon the things that unite us as the people of God. We can't just try to blend in when we face persecutions. The only alternative is to put Jesus before all else. This is bound to happen eventually. Jesus is divisive. The life he comes to freely give upsets the current balance of power and threatens comfortable even while it comforts the fearful.
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
The old system of power rules based on fear and suffering. It is focuses on building pride and riches. It does not share power. And so Jesus cannot compromise with it. We can stay in the old system and never truly find a life of peace and meaning, much less eternal life. Or we can come to Jesus. If we simply receive him, we will not lose our reward.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers' snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
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