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This is a tough text and a tough sermon, but I ask you to dig in and wrestle with it.
Did Jesus really say that?
Luke 14:25-33
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."
Maybe it means something easier in Greek?
Strong's Number G3404 matches the Greek μισέω (miseō), 1) to hate, pursue with hatred, detest 2) to be hated, detested; which occurs 42 times in 38 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV.
Luke uses it like this:
Luk 1:71 That we should be saved4991 from1537 our2257 enemies2190, and2532 from1537 the hand5495 of all3956 that hate3404 us2248;
Luk 6:22 Blessed3107 are ye2075 , when3752 men444 shall hate3404 you5209, and2532 when3752 they shall separate873 you5209 [from their company], and2532 shall reproach3679 [you], and2532 cast out1544 your5216 name3686 as5613 evil4190, for the Son5207 of man's444 sake1752.
Luk 6:27 But235 I say3004 unto you5213 which3588 hear191 , Love25 your5216 enemies2190, do4160 good2573 to them which3588 hate3404 you5209,
Luk 14:26 If any1536 [man] come2064 to4314 me3165, and2532 hate3404 not3756 his1438 father3962, and2532 mother3384, and2532 wife1135, and2532 children5043, and2532 brethren80, and2532 sisters79, yea2089, and1161 his own1438 life5590 also2532, he cannot37561410 be1511 my3450 disciple3101.
Luk 16:13 No3762 servant3610 can1410 serve1398 two1417 masters2962: for1063 either2228 he will hate3404 the one1520, and2532 love25 the other2087; or else2228 he will hold472 to the one1520, and2532 despise2706 the other2087. Ye cannot37561410 serve1398 God2316 and2532 mammon3126.
Luk 19:14 But1161 his846 citizens4177 hated3404 him846, and2532 sent649 a message4242 after3694 him846, saying3004 , We will23090 not3756 have2309 this5126 [man] to reign936 over1909 us2248.
Luk 21:17 And2532 ye shall be2071 hated3404 of5259 all3956 [men] for1223 my3450 name's sake3686.
The study on our Children’s faith is outlined here:
I'm very partial to this passage. Kierkegaard references it in his book Fear and Trembling. He says that if we truly aspire to be knights in God's army, knights of faith, we must take this verse to heart.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the best way to think about it is by remembering all the different words for Love in Greek. Human beings can love each other in a variety of ways, but none of those translate in a satisfactory way to the kind of Love God reserves for us, or that he expects of us when he asks us to believe in Him.