Christians only?

Question

How do you interpret this verse?

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:26

Answer 1

we must put Jesus Christ FIRST in our lives before everything else. Jesus was showing us, how to follow him. We must deny our selves and accept Christ as the number one part of our lives. Jesus should come first.

Answer 2

First of all.... we are not to interpret the Word of God but ask Him to open it up to us so that we can fully understand what it is He is saying to us..God is not going to give two different people two different messages from the same scripture. All messages will be identical when God opens it up to you for you to understand.

When a person "interprets" a scripture, all you are doing is forming an opinion of what you think it means. you will always be wrong because you did not ask God to show you what He was saying and you attempted to figure it out without Him. You can't do that and end up with the truth. You will end up being misled by satan when you go out on your own and try to read the bible with out the dirrection of God.

This scripture is telling us that the Lord our God must be first in our life. We must love Him more than our Father, Mother, wife, husband, or our children, brothers and sisters. We must always place the will of God before anyone else, then the rest follow. We are to know our place before God. The word Hate means to love less.

hate- by extension to love less: -

Take a look at the word Joy..

J- Jesus
O- others
Y- you

Place these people in that order and God will insure you joy in life. Praise Him for the path He leads you through to get to that place of joy.

Answer 3

Read the context.

It's all about the things you have to lay down to completely serve Christ as a disciple

By the way, the real disciples of Christ were the ones performing miracles, raising people from the dead, etc. They were a spectacle back then. It's too bad we're not living up to the full potential we have in Christ.

You follow God and what he says even when it differs from what your friends/family say--even what you think, and it may very well appear as 'hate'

It's the most obedient and humble way of serving Christ. But it's worth it.

Real revival is when you become so disgusted with what you have done you just throw it away to follow Christ, and at that humble state, he lifts you up.

Read the 'prodigal son' story

Answer 4

Unless you are willing to follow Jesus with all your heart - even to the point of a lesser love (hatred) . Loving Christ so much that attachment to anything else - including your own life - would seem like hatred in comparison.

Answer 5

You shouldnt hate your family and your own life, but your love of Jesus should be above all. He says in another verse, your love for your mother should seem like hatred when compared to your love for god. So in order for his deciples to follow him they were to be prepared to give up everything, even their own lives.

Answer 6

I answered this 1 b4 for someone else. I'm a Jehovah's Witness & would be happy to help. ALL Jesus meant by this was we must put following him 1st. There will come a time when we will have to choose between Him & our material possessions and/or family. We aren't to Hate our family...just put Him & his father Jehovah 1st. We need to help the ones we love to learn the knowledge of Jehovah & help them make the choice at Armageddon.

Answer 7

It is a Hebrew idiom of speech. Actually the word translated "life" here is the Greek "psuche", or soul.
You could paraphrase the passage by the supplying the inferred statement "in comparison to his love for Me (Jesus)"
What Jesus is then saying is that, if we want to be His disciple, our devotion to Him must exceed our love, not only for our closest and dearest earthly relations, but even our very love for ourselves.
In Revelation 12:11 we read "And they (the believers) overcame him (Satan), because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life (soul), even to the point of death"
If we place anything before Jesus Christ, who alone gives us worth through the redemption that is in His blood, we are not worthy to be called followers of Him. Indeed, not only we, but all our loved ones are doomed sinners unless they repent and embrace the salvation offered to them through the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
This may seem like a hard saying to some, but to me it is completely reasonable in light of the revelation of who Christ is, and our relationship to Him. He bought us back with his own blood. We owe everything to Him.
There is much more that could be said in light of a proper examination of the meaning of this word "soul" in Scripture. Briefly, it is the seat of the self-life; the "ego" if you will. When we choose to follow Jesus, we must surrender our will, our minds, our emotions and our appetites to Him. If we do not, in the time of testing, we will bring reproach on the Gospel.
"Offer your bodies, a living sacrifice... which is your reasonable servcie of worship." (Romans 12:1,2)

Answer 8

That means you must live by Jesus' teachings, even if it goes against members of your own family. Suppose your family were into crime, or alcoholism, drugs, etc.etc.etc. You must live by your convictions and not let them influence you to sin.

Answer 9

Any one who is fit to be a disciple of Jesus, must give up all things he loves in this world as if it is something he despises. For all his love and interest at that point must be on Jesus! There is a faithful disciple!

Answer 10

Hey man, Im an Atheist, and I cant figure that passage out. Good question... Sounds like Jesus was starting a revolution of some kind. Or, to be completely honest...(and I know Im gonna catch crap for this...).....it really is the same thing that modern cults demand of you. Look at Jim Jones - he made his followers cut off all contact with their family, so that he could more easily brainwash his followers...