Becoming a "son" of God

Jesus taught a number of things about how one becomes or remains a “son” of God. Some of them involved eschewing traditional sources of gaining or maintaining “honor,” such as family connections (see Matt. 10:37-38 // Luke 14:25-35; Matt. 12:46-50 // 8:19-21 // Mark 3:31-35), wealth (Matt. 19:23 // Mark 10:17–23 // Luke 18:24), social status (Matt. 18:1-5 // Mark 9:33-37 // Luke 9:46-48), and possessions (Matt. 19:16–30 // Mark 10:17–31 // Luke 18:18–30). But it seems that the most important of these ways had to do what Jesus called “taking up his cross,” “denying oneself,” “manifesting true greatness,” showing indiscriminate and limitless forgiveness (especially of one’s enemies), and being what Jesus called an εἰρηνοποιός (eirēnopoios), a “peacemaker.”—The Disciples’ Prayer, page 69