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Luke 9:59-60
When Jesus first began calling His disciples to follow Him, they immediately left what they were involved with, whether it be jobs or family, and followed Him (Matthew 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11: John 1:35-51). The issue in Luke 9:59-60 is not that Jesus does not want this man to care for his family matters, but that he is using his family matters as a reason to not follow Jesus. He did not put following Jesus first. The response of Jesus is that the man should not concern himself with the dead, whom have received their eternal destination, but that he should put his focus on preaching the kingdom of God to those who remain alive physically so that they too may find eternal life in Him.
This is a command that to follow Jesus is to put Him first, above all else.
When we feel the call of the Lord on our hearts, we need to understand that we are to put Jesus first in our lives, that through Him we are allowed eternal life in heaven with our Father and Creator God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and he does not accept second place in our lives. If we will put Jesus first, He will help us with all the other areas of our lives, such as family matters and all other concerns that we will face throughout our physical lives.
Dear Lord,
Please help us to see that putting You first in our lives is not turning our backs to others, but that through salvation in Jesus, as we put on our new life in Him, we are better able to address our relationships with our family and friends through the guidance that Your Holy Spirit gives us. Please help us to receive and accept Your great love as You offer to our hearts, minds, and souls through believing in Jesus and striving to follow Him. In Jesus name I pray, amen.