Challenging Verses (Luke 14:26)

The challenging verses we have looked at so far have been sayings of Jesus that are hard to swallow. They have been words that seem to contradict his own teachings. We have another example of that for our next challenging passage. 

In Luke 14:26 Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple”. What a harsh statement from Jesus. What Jesus says here is that you have to hate your family, even yourself, to follow Jesus. Can that even be right? This is the Jesus who earlier taught us to love everyone, and now is saying we have to hate those closest to us to follow him. What is this all about?

Some clarity might come in the next verses. Jesus gives two examples of what it means to be his disciple. He gives an example of a man who wants to build a tower and a king going to war. In both cases, thought and preparation should be made to see if it would even be worth doing the things they want to do. In this case, Jesus offers us a choice to follow Him. 

We should consider what it would cost to follow Jesus. Rejection, ridicule, and disownment might come from even the people closest to us like our parents or siblings. Our own desires might get in the way of what Jesus wants. Jesus says at the end, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” We have to give up things to follow Jesus and that is the cost of following Him. These things are the bad habits or evil that we do, that we cease doing when we come to Christ (Colossians 2:11). 

In summary, what Jesus is saying is not that we should hate our family or those closest to us, but rather Jesus should be our first priority when it comes to who we please. Following Jesus will come at a price, are we willing to do it? Jesus paid the price for your soul on the cross, will we respond with gladness or reject his offer of salvation? The choice is ours to make and following Him might come at a cost but it is nothing compared to the salvation we will receive in eternal life.