| Lyle
Normand wrote: The sermon of the week uses
Luke 14:26 in which the word hate is used in a way that
is confusing. I understand that translations are often
misleading but know that the one who teaches honoring
your parents could not be telling us here to hate them
in today's understanding of the word. Could you explain
what this really means? Lyle Normand
Luke 14:26 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.
Thank you Lyle, for this question.
It is one which has often been a source of
confusion. To infer from this passage that
Jesus is advocating hatred for spouses,
parents and children one finds a direct
contradiction to plain teachings elsewhere.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you
in particular so love his wife even as
himself; and the wife see that she reverence
her husband.
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the
Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which
is the first commandment with promise.
When such a seeming contradiction
occurs we know that our inference is wrong.
When the statement is put into context it
seems clear that He speaks of the degree of
our commitment or love for Him. He
illustrated this truth in:
Mark 3:31 There came then his brethren
and his mother, and, standing without, sent
unto him, calling him.
Mark 3:32 And the multitude sat about him,
and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother
and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Mark 3:33 And he answered them, saying, Who
is my mother, or my brethren?
Mark 3:34 And he looked round about on them
which sat about him, and said, Behold my
mother and my brethren!
Mark 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of
God, the same is my brother, and my sister,
and mother.
Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the
sea side: and there was gathered unto him a
great multitude,
He was not being disrespectful, but
simply illustrating the fact that first
things must come first, and that the work of
the Lord must be placed above all human
commitments. In fact, without putting Christ
first in one’s life it is impossible to
fulfill his responsibilities to others.
When we put Christ first, all other
relationships will be enhanced.
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