What Does It Really Mean to Put Christ First

One of the most challenging statements Jesus ever made is found in the Gospel of Matthew:

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me... Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)

At first glance, these words can sound almost shocking. Is Jesus telling us to love our families less? Certainly not. Throughout Scripture we are commanded to honor our father and mother, to love our spouse, and to care for our children.

What Christ is teaching is something much deeper: God must always come first.

When we love God above everything else, every other relationship finds its proper place. But when anything—even something good—takes the place that belongs to God alone, our lives begin to lose their proper order.

This has been humanity's struggle from the very beginning.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect communion with God. They walked with Him without fear or shame as a man walks with his friend we are told. But when they chose to trust the serpent rather than the Creator, everything changed. They hid from God. They blamed one another. God looks for them and he finds them not alone but hiding in the tree of Knowledge along with the serpent. Fear replaced peace, and shame replaced innocence.

Sin did far more than break a commandment—it fractured the most important relationship they had.

St. Paul explains the heart of every sin when he writes:

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator." (Romans 1:25)

That exchange still happens today. We may not bow before carved idols, but we often place other things ahead of God: our careers, our comfort, our possessions, our ambitions, our reputation, even our families. None of these things are evil in themselves, but they become idols whenever they occupy the place reserved for God alone.

The story of Cain continues this lesson. Before Cain murders his brother, God warns him:

"Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

Sin is never content to remain small. Left unchecked, it grows. It seeks to master us. What begins as jealousy becomes hatred. Pride becomes self-righteousness. Greed becomes slavery. Every sin begins by drawing our hearts a little farther away from God. The sins we commit also wound the people we love the most. Sin is never just personal; its effects are always felt by others.

The good news is that Christ did not simply come to forgive our sins—He came to free us from their power.

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us what happened at our Baptism. We were united to Christ in His death and resurrection. Our old self was crucified with Him so that we might walk in newness of life.

His conclusion is both simple and profound:

"Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:11)

This is the Christian life. We are no longer called to live as slaves to sin. Through Christ, we have been given a new identity.

Finally, after His resurrection, Jesus asks Peter a question that echoes through every generation:

"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" (John 21:15)

Notice that Jesus doesn't simply ask, "Do you love Me?" He asks, "Do you love Me more than these?"

Peter had to leave behind his boats, his nets, his old way of life, and even his failures in order to follow Christ completely.

The same question is asked of each of us.

Do you love Me more than your success?

More than your comfort?

More than your possessions?

More than your fears?

More than your sins and addictions? 

More than anything else that competes for your heart?

Every disciple must answer that question.

The Christian life is not merely about avoiding sin. It is about ordering our lives rightly. When Christ is first, everything else finds its proper place. Our families are loved more faithfully. Our work becomes an offering to God. Our possessions become tools rather than masters. Even our crosses become opportunities to draw closer to Christ.

Each day we are invited to remember who we became in Baptism: people who have died with Christ and now live for Him.

May we learn to place Him first—not because He asks for less love toward others, but because only when He is first can we truly love everyone else as we were created to love them.