Loving God and Country

 

I love my God and my country; there is no dichotomy between the two. As Jesus loved his Father and Israel, so can we love both. If asked, "Which parent do you love more?" and you love both equally, you would say, "Both." Verses about loving God more than others or hating others (Luke 14:26, Matthew 10:27) are sometimes misquoted. Luke 14:26 says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Matthew 10:27 states, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Jesus also said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Scripture offers two ways to read these verses: either love others as yourself, or "hate" them by comparison to your love for God.

There is no real contradiction here. The first verse uses strong language—"hate others"—to highlight the supremacy of loving God. The second focuses on loving God above others. The third emphasizes loving God with all your being. Jesus teaches us to love others as ourselves, but to love God even more. If we love others, we will not murder them, commit adultery with their wives, steal or covet their belongings, or give false testimonies against them in court. If we love God more, we will keep the whole Decalogue. It includes honoring our parents for a long life and lifelong prosperity. We must not idolize any person, money, power, or our belongings, nor must we worship idols. Our allegiance to God must be complete, and we must prepare ourselves and wait for our Sabbath rest after he returns by remaining in Him by His Spirit. He must reign first in our present lives if we hope to reign with him in the coming age.

There are two kinds of authority: one from power—positional, monetary, or military—and one from love, shown through selfless service. God reigns where people love and serve each other. Hatred and bitterness replace this with mere positional or muscle power. If your authority is rooted in love and service, no power of this wicked world can defeat you. Even perceived defeat is victory in the Lord. In contrast, conquering the world through hate and deceit is true defeat. Remember, we carry both Jesus’ life and death in us—both the cross and resurrection power. On the cross, Jesus defeated hate and violence with love. By his resurrection, Jesus conquered death and decay. In our worldly lives, we carry Jesus love that defeats hatred and wins over hateful people. We also carry the hope of resurrection by His Holy Spirit.



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