In Comparison to Our Love for Jesus

Luke 14:27 ESV

“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.”

This passage has been misconstrued for years, so let’s clear it up. In context, Jesus told His disciples in the first century that to follow Him, they had to have unwavering devotion. In fact, they were all tested for their commitment to Jesus. So, He warns them to count the cost.

In Luke 14 verses 28-32, Jesus gives the disciples 2 examples of counting the cost, very specific examples. He says to the disciples, if you are committed to me, you have to check your commitment in the face of ridicule and condemnation for following Him.

The Jews saw following Jesus as heresy, as if you had lost your mind. They instructed that the believers of Jesus had to be ostracized by the Jewish community and family. Many did turn against their family for believing and following Jesus. In fact, their treatment was as if the follower had never been born.

So, to help us understand, I will use a paraphrase of the verse; “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters – yet, even one’s own self! – can’t be my disciple.”

Or the Amplified translation says it this way; “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] — he cannot be My disciple.”

These guys were ostracized for following Jesus and eventually killed for following Jesus. Our level of commitment to Jesus has to be the same, but typically our family and friends will not turn their backs on us for following Jesus. Not in this part of the world but it still happiness foreign lands.

How great is our love and commitment to Him?

Prayer: Lord, give us supernatural understanding of Your word and what it means to us today! Never let us just skip over the hard sayings, but help us to come to a full understanding of Your words.