Jesus first

"Another of Jesus' disciples said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.' "--Matthew 8.21-22
This saying is right up there with Jesus' saying, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14.26)
What in the world is Jesus saying? Does he really want us to neglect, even hate our families? How does this instruction reconcile with "honor your father and mother" and "love your neighbor?"
I don't think Jesus is saying we should hate or neglect our families. But what he is saying is that he comes first. FIRST. Even our families can become an idol. I'll give you a simple example. When our family goes on vacation, I am tempted to skip my morning devotional time. The beach calls every morning when we are on vacation. Fishing calls every morning. Surfing calls every morning. So, it would be easy for me to say to the Lord, "I just can't talk this morning, Lord, I'm with my family!" And if I did, I would be wrong. Jesus would be first in my life, even above family, or he would be nothing. (Remember that Jesus said, he despised the luke-warm Christian). One simple sacrifice I can make is to assure that I talk to the Lord and read my Bible every morning, even when I'm on vacation. Just a simple example.
Now, for some people, they may be tempted to neglect their family in the name of spending time with Jesus. That is not what I am advocating. But simply keeping first things first: Jesus first, then family. In fact, I have found that the more I keep Jesus first, the better husband, father, and son I am. It's one of the ironies of the Christian faith: spend adequate time with Jesus and you'll be able to be more present with those you love when you're with them.
Is Jesus first in your life today? Or is someone else?