He won't be the parsley

Here is a taste of an excellent sermon on today's gospel reading from StandFirm website contributor Matt Kennedy...

So when Jesus says that if you come to him you must hate your family or you cannot be his disciple, he’s saying, very clearly, that if you are to be his follower, his disciple, you must be willing to put your relationship with him above every other relationship in your life. “I will not" in other words, "be the 'parsley' of your life,” says Jesus. You know that green stuff, that garnish on the side of your plate that makes the food, good or not, appear palatable. We sometime make Jesus our garnish, our parsely, our side dish. “I won’t be your side dish," says Jesus. "I’m not ‘a part of your life.’ And if you come expecting me to just ‘fit in’ somewhere between parties on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon football, you really aren’t coming to me. I must be your life. I come before your job. I come before your kids. I come before your parents. I come before your girlfriend or your boyfriend or your husband or your wife. Forsaking all others…”

Read the rest here.