25Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, 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. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
This reading has always puzzled me. "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. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is clearly telling us that following him is no cake walk. We are committing to carry our cross just as Jesus carried his and open ourselves up to torture, pain and ridicule as we walk to a metaphorical Calvary. When Jesus says that one must “hate” father, mother, spouse, children, siblings, and even their own life to be His disciple, He is using hyperbolic language to convey the radical commitment required to follow Him. "Hate" here does not imply hostility or contempt; rather, it emphasizes the necessity of prioritizing Jesus above even the closest relationships or personal desires. In the cultural context, the word "hate" is a way of expressing comparison—our love for God should be so great that, by comparison, all other attachments are secondary.
ReplyDelete
DeleteYour response insightfully addresses both the challenge and the depth of Jesus' teaching here. In this passage, Jesus does indeed use strong, hyperbolic language to emphasize the level of commitment required to follow Him—a commitment so intense that it redefines all other attachments. “Hate,” in this context, points to a prioritization, where our love and loyalty to Jesus become so central that everything else, even close familial relationships, falls into second place.
Your interpretation of "bearing the cross" reminds us that discipleship involves sacrifices, hardships, and at times, even suffering, as we put God’s call first. Just as Jesus carried His cross in full acceptance of His mission, followers are called to bear whatever difficulties come in the journey of faith. Jesus makes it clear that this path isn’t always easy; it demands a recalibration of our lives and values, holding Him as the utmost priority, even when it’s uncomfortable or countercultural.
In a sense, this passage calls us to examine our own attachments and ask ourselves if we’re willing to put God above everything, to love Him so fully that even the best parts of our lives are secondary to His call. It’s a challenging invitation but one that brings a profound freedom—living not for ourselves, but for a purpose that transcends us.