These two states of selfishness and love of others are referenced in the bible as two distinct families, each having its own parents, mother, father, brothers, sisters etc.
When Jesus says, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9, NKJV) he points out several things:
1. Earth (selfishness) has its own father and heaven (love of others) has its own father
2. You can call someone on earth (selfishness) your father but you shouldn't, do not do it, meaning do not be in the quality of selfishness
3. The One in heaven is your father meaning you should be in the quality of love of other
4. We should change our quality from selfishness to love of others
Once we understand these two families, the following scriptures that appear to be contradictory now make sense.
Honor Your Father and Mother
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord (YHVH) your God (Elohim) is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, NKJV)
The land which God is giving us is the land of love of others, benefitting others instead of ourselves. This land has its own family, it's own father and mother. We honor our father and mother in this family of love of others.
Once we change our qualities from selfishness to love of others, we switch families, moving from the family of selfishness to the family of love of others.
We become a part of an entirely new family, new parents, new father, new mother, new brothers, new sisters etc, a family with the new quality of love of others.
Hate your Father and Mother
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26, NKJV)
Jesus is saying that we should hate the family of selfishness. We should leave the attributes of our old life of selfishness behind and change our quality from selfishness to love of others.
Once we change our quality from selfishness to love of others and seek to benefit others instead of ourselves, we become a part of a new family of love of others. Only then can we become disciples of Jesus.
Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.
