Luke 14:26 Why is Jesus telling us that we should hate our mother and father!?

Question

My mother always seems to find verses that are questionable and basically not happy ones. Like for instance this question. Why do we have to hate our mother and father and so fourth?

Answer 1

What happens next is hard for us to accept: The people pledge to put away the wives and children they had acquired outside of God's will. Now this is a hurtful thing, isn't it? It isn't easy. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children ... he cannot be my disciple" (Luke14:26). Our relationship with God comes first.

This is a symbolic teaching. God is not saying that we have to divorce and then abandon our children today. Rather, He is saying that we should ruthlessly divorce ourselves from anything that comes from the flesh and hinders our spiritual purity and growth. We must divorce ourselves from our materialism, our lusts and coveting, our ungodly goals and values, our anger and grudges, our habits and sins, all of which are symbolized by these Canaanite tribes in the land.

It was hard for the Israelites to put away their wives and children, but they realized that their only chance of being restored to fellowship with God lay in total, absolute, radical obedience to His Word. Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away…If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off" (Matt. 5:29-30). Be ruthless in these things. Put them away.

That is the road back to holiness, to a completely restored relationship with the One who loves us. The road of obedience is the road back to God.

- Ray C. Stedman

Answer 2

This is from BibleGateway.com:

"So Jesus calls for a follower who will hate his mother and father, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life. The point of the list is that no other relationship is first for a disciple. "Hate" is used figuratively and suggests a priority of relationship. Jesus is first. To follow Jesus means to follow Jesus, not anyone or anything else. A disciple is a learner, and the primary teacher in life is Jesus. This total loyalty is crucial, given the rejection and persecution that lie ahead. If his followers care more about family than about Jesus, when families are divided under pressure of persecution, they will choose against Jesus. This is what lies behind Jesus' remarks. Discipleship is not possible if Jesus is not the teacher."

Answer 3

Speaking as a mother myself, I do the same thing. I point out those verses b/c I don't want him to grow up thinking the Bible is an accurate History book. If your mom is pointing out negative versus, it's probably to demonstrate to you 'the other half' that naturally isn't going to be acknowledged by church leaders. Not b/c she's negative.

*****

I was reading some of ther other answers. Doesn't Paul say something about 'God is not the author of confusion'? And wasn't human interpretation that cause of the Inquisition and The Crusades? Shouldn't the Bible be a little more clear?

Answer 4

This is not suppost to be taken litterally :
when Jesus was discussing what is really involved in being his true follower, he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own soul, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) Jesus obviously did not mean that his followers should literally hate their family members, since he commanded people to love even their enemies. (Matthew 5:44) Rather, Jesus here meant that his followers must love family members less than they love God. (Compare Matthew 6:24.)

Answer 5

He's not saying hate your mother or father. He's saying to always put him first. It clearly says in the Ten Commandments honor thy father and thy mother. Didn't put anything before Jesus Christ. If you read the next verse he also saying if you don't carry his cross you can't be his disciple. Always make sure you put Christ first.

Answer 6

Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, "If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me.
Luke 14:25-27

A better translation than hate, but it IS implied in the greek. I guess, comparitively, we should despise anything that would come before our love of Christ.

Answer 7

Tell your Mother to take a reading comprehension class. Or, better yet, go to Sunday school and ask some pre-schoolers what Jesus teaches about one's parents. Take one passage out of context from almost any text and you can make some ridiculous suppositions.

Edit: For cryin' out loud people, she gave you book, chapter and verse! If you haven't seen it, you haven't read it (and did not bother to look it up)!

Answer 8

your mother and your father sin, just like everyone else even you. Don't you hate them for sinning? Don't you hate yourself because you sin as well? Don't you wish that you could stop sinning? But you cant, Jesus knows that you cant stop, he wants you to hate your mother, father and yourself because your sin. If you do not hate your mother then that means you love her sin.

And just because you hate someone does not mean that you treat them badly. Jesus wants you to love your enemy as well.

Answer 9

Read just a bit farther. . like two verses. .and you shall find your answer. Actuall its in the same verse. It doesn't mean you should hate your parents. it means that you should love God much much much more!! It says you must hate by comparison. .not hate. Hope this helps :)

Answer 10

That verse means that we are to love God and Jesus above all others. Basically, if you have to choose a parent or brother or sister, or friend over Jesus and God; Choose God and Jesus first.