Radical Allegiance

Sunset Wednesday.
Luke's Gospel gives us a Jesus who is gentle and compassionate.  The very same Gospel gives us a Jesus who demands radical allegiance from his followers.
Chapter 14:25-33 Jesus tells us what it takes to be his disciple and asks us if we have what it takes.  We have to prefer Jesus to everyone and everything that we hold dear.  Luke has Jesus say that we have to hate our relatives.  This is an extreme exaggeration, not uncommon at the time.  It may help to remember that this is the Jesus who told us earlier in the same Gospel to love our enemies.  It also helps to see that Matthew reporting the same saying in his Gospel has Jesus say, "No one who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me.(10:37)"
The point is that Jesus demands to be the center of our lives.  No person, no thing, no attitude comes before him. 
Jesus doesn't urge his disciples to study the Jewish Law or to grow in the love of God but to follow him and to make sure everything comes second to him.  These are bold demands.  Jesus speaks and acts as if he stood in God's stead and as if God were coming to God's people in Jesus himself.  He can demand that we make himself our center because he is God.
When he asks us if we have what it takes to follow him, he is asking us if we can surrender ourselves, heart and soul, to God.