In chapter 14:26 Jesus says, “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.” These are stern words by Jesus; but
following Him is far more serious than most people realize.
Jesus did not mean that we should not have a faithful
devotion to those who are our own flesh and blood. We are
taught throughout the Scriptures that we should not only
love our family and friends, but also our enemies. Jesus
simply means that we should love Him more than anyone or
anything else. He requires, and must have, first place in
our hearts. Satan will make every effort to prevent our
giving Christ first place, and will present many
temptations to hinder our way. But Satan will flee from us
when we submit ourselves to God (see James 4:7).

My prayer today is that Jesus has first place in
your heart, and that you love Him more than anything or
anyone. If you have failed Him in this area, ask His
forgiveness, and determine that you will give Him first
place and complete control of your life from this day
forward.

In chapter 15 the Lord answers the hypocritical
complaining and murmuring of the Pharisees with the
parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost
son. With these parables Jesus is illustrating Luke 19:10,
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost.” In these parables the one lost sheep, the one
lost piece of silver, and the prodigal represented the
publicans. In Jesus’ day the publican was commonly known to
be a sinner, with no religion at all. Jesus was also
rebuking the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, teaching
them that they must humble themselves to a place of
realizing they are sinners before they could be saved.

Chapter 16 contains the familiar story of the rich
man and Lazarus. This is not a parable, but an actual
historical illustration, also aimed at the unbelieving
self-righteous Pharisees. In it the rich man’s great wealth
was not the evidence of divine favor, for he went to hell
(Hades, Sheol, the intermediate abode of departed human
spirits between death and the resurrection). Lazarus, a
penniless beggar, went to “Abraham’s bosom,” which is a
picture of paradise (the intermediate state in which souls
of the just await resurrection). With this illustration
Jesus was warning of eternal hell, but promising eternal
heaven to those who receive Him by faith. He was also
illustrating that material possessions mean nothing when
death comes, and He was warning the covetous Pharisees to
take heed and turn to Him, in faith believing.

MEMORY VERSE FOR TODAY:
Man now can be:
Justified.
Acts 13:39
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses.