Did Jesus Ask Us to Hate Our Family?
In Luke 14:26, Jesus spoke some words that indeed captured the immediate attention of his hearers just as they do ours: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Shocking words. Words that may strike us as harsh on the surface. But what did he mean? SHOCKING WORDS. WORDS THAT MAY STRIKE US AS HARSH ON THE SURFACE. BUT WHAT DID HE MEAN? Jesus contended in the previous text that many who claim to desire to eat the kingdom feast are deceiving themselves. Now, as large crowds follow him, he turns to them and challenges them about what it means to be his disciple (cf. Luke 7:9; Luke 5:11; Luke 9:59–60; Luke 16:13; Luke 18:29–30). Those in the crowds cannot be Jesus’ disciples unless they hate family members: fathers, mothers, wives (cf. Luke 14:20), children, brothers, and sisters (cf. Deut. 33:9). The word “hate” is hyperbolic and stunning, arresting our attention