Luke, 14:26

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Luke, 14:26
“If any one 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.”

I find this passage on hating one’s family very distressing and was wondering how others interpret it?
 
I don’t think we’re asked to hate our family. Rather, we are asked to hate the way our relationships with others, including our family, can hinder our total dedication to the Kingdom of God. I think Jesus is pointing out that seeking God takes precedence even over family ties.
 
This is one of many examples where Jesus uses an ancient technique called hyperbole, This is where one would make an exaggerated statement in order to hammer home a point, in this case Jesus is saying that no one can come before him, you have to put Jesus first in your life, He does not literally mean that you have to hate your family,other examples of Jesus using hyperbole are when he says we should pluck out our eye or cut off our hand if it causes us to sin, or in Matthew 23:9 when he says “call no man Father”
 
“hate” is a hebrew idiom.

If you look at Old Testament Scriptures, God says, “I loved Jacob, but hated Esau”. Don’t know where, but it may be in the psalms.

God does not hate Esau, but this is a Jewish idiom for “I loved Jacob, and loved Esau less”.

The same applies to this verse in Luke. We should love and honor our parents. But we should never let our love for our parents interfere with our love for God. The same goes for anything that can interfere with our love of God.
 
NotWorthy said:
“hate” is a hebrew idiom.

If you look at Old Testament Scriptures, God says, “I loved Jacob, but hated Esau”. Don’t know where, but it may be in the psalms.

God does not hate Esau, but this is a Jewish idiom for “I loved Jacob, and loved Esau less”.

The same applies to this verse in Luke. We should love and honor our parents. But we should never let our love for our parents interfere with our love for God. The same goes for anything that can interfere with our love of God.
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I have been taught that to “hate” means to “prefer less”, indicating that one then prefers God more. Hate has come to mean, in modern English, purely the expression of anger or rage. It was not always so. The English language pales in comparison to the ancient Hebrew (and several other modern languages) for expressiveness in this regard.
 
po18guy said:
I have been taught that to “hate” means to “prefer less”, indicating that one then prefers God more. Hate has come to mean, in modern English, purely the expression of anger or rage. It was not always so. The English language pales in comparison to the ancient Hebrew (and several other modern languages) for expressiveness in this regard.
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Yes, this is pretty much the way I understand it. Good job, Po!
 
The example of Esau and Jacob is Mal 1:2-3. Another example is here.

And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated , he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived , and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said , Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said , Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated , he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. (Gen 29:30-33)
 
Thanks everybody for your replies. Not taking this passage too literally sounds like sound advice.
 
Robert_Sock said:
Thanks everybody for your replies. Not taking this passage too literally sounds like sound advice.
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Or better yet, taking the passage in its original Hebrew literally is even sounder advice. Remember, always look first to the authors intent to his immediate audience.
 
NotWorthy said:
Or better yet, taking the passage in its original Hebrew literally is even sounder advice. Remember, always look first to the authors intent to his immediate audience.
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The excellent Douay-Rheims has said verse worded so:
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother,
and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

As has been pointed out, the underlined in context implies we must be prepared to part from that which we love dearly in order to follow Him.
God Bless,
Colmcille1.🙂
 
Robert_Sock said:
Luke, 14:26
“If any one 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.”

I find this passage on hating one’s family very distressing and was wondering how others interpret it?
Click to expand...
D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 26. Hate not, &c. The law of Christ does not allow us to hate even our enemies, much less our parents: but the meaning of the text is, that we must be in that disposition of soul so as to be willing to renounce and part with every thing, how near or dear soever it may be to us, that would keep us from following Christ. (Challoner) — The word hate is not to be taken in its proper sense, but to be expounded by the words of Christ, (Matthew x. 37.) that no man must love his father more than God, &c. (Witham) — Christ wishes to shew us what dispositions are necessary in him who desires to become his disciple; (Theophylactus) and to teach us that we must not be discouraged, if we meet with many hardships and labours in our journey to our heavenly country. (St. Gregory) — And if for our sakes, Christ even renounced his own mother, saying, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? why do you wish to be treated more delicately than your Lord? (St. Ambrose) — He wished also to demonstrate to us, that the hatred he here inculcates, is not to proceed from any disaffection towards our parents, but from charity for ourselves; for immediately he adds, and his own life also. From which words it is evident, that in our love we must hate our brethren as we do ourselves.
 
thistle said:
D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 26. Hate not, &c. The law of Christ does not allow us to hate even our enemies, much less our parents: but the meaning of the text is, that we must be in that disposition of soul so as to be willing to renounce and part with every thing, how near or dear soever it may be to us, that would keep us from following Christ. (Challoner) — The word hate is not to be taken in its proper sense, but to be expounded by the words of Christ, (Matthew x. 37.) that no man must love his father more than God, &c. (Witham) — Christ wishes to shew us what dispositions are necessary in him who desires to become his disciple; (Theophylactus) and to teach us that we must not be discouraged, if we meet with many hardships and labours in our journey to our heavenly country. (St. Gregory) — And if for our sakes, Christ even renounced his own mother, saying, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? why do you wish to be treated more delicately than your Lord? (St. Ambrose) — He wished also to demonstrate to us, that the hatred he here inculcates, is not to proceed from any disaffection towards our parents, but from charity for ourselves; for immediately he adds, and his own life also. From which words it is evident, that in our love we must hate our brethren as we do ourselves.
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Hi thistle,
A very good post, sir! 👍
God Bless,
Colmcille1.🙂
 
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