Gospel of Luke, chapter 14:26

The fourth commandment obligates us to “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Jesus commands us to “Love one another; even as I have loved you” (John 13:34). And now we read in Luke 14:26 that “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters; yes, and even life itself, he cannot be my disciple.” How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory demands of the scriptures? How can we “hate” those we are commanded to love? You could argue that St. Luke’s manner of speaking is not to be interpreted literally; that he was pointing out the paradox of discipleship that puts the following of Christ above ties of blood.

The paradox of putting the love of Christ above ties of blood was reported in the media recently when a young girl tearfully turned her parents over to the police so that they could be cured of their drug addiction. Similarly, we are bound to love our parents and family members, and everyone else, except when they become obstacles to the following of Christ.

From the time that Jesus spoke these words in Luke 14:26, they have been considered among the ‘Hard Sayings’ of Jesus; those considered difficult to understand. Some Christians prefer to ignore these words because they don’t know what to do about them, or they feel threatened by them. But, Jesus leaves us in no doubt about what he is saying: true discipleship is the ultimate challenge, and it demands renouncing family ties, if necessary, in order to follow Christ.

An important rule of biblical interpretation is that scripture interprets scripture. In other words, whenever you come across a difficult passage look to another passage on the same subject that will explain it. The bible cannot contradict itself because it is a unified whole with the Holy Spirit as the author.

Fortunately, there is another passage in which Jesus speaks on the same subject, and which clarifies Luke’s use of the word HATE. It is in Matthew, chapter 10:37 where the word love replaces the word hate: “Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not fit to be my disciple.” We are to love our parents, ourselves, and life itself, but we should never love them more than Jesus. To love them more than Jesus would be to elevate the creature above the Creator.

Jesus is pointing out the cost of discipleship in both Luke 14:26; and in Matthew 10:37. We will be put in situations where your own blood relations will try to drag you away from the Lord. This is why Jesus says, “Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, I have come to bring division. From now on, in one house, there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:51-52).

Today’s scripture shows us how radical are the demands of true discipleship. The life of a disciple is no bed of roses; it is an incredible challenge.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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