For Those Who Have Pondered The Verse In 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.”

Many atheists and non believers use this small verse to try convince Christians that Jesus was teaching hate. This perverse view is without any truth.

Cosmo gives us the commentary on Luke 14:26

Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified they all bear their cross and must bear it in the way of their duty. Jesus bids them to count upon it and then consider of it.

Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes the first showing that we must consider the expenses of our faith and the second that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost.

Consider that it will cost the denying of sin even the most beloved lusts. The proudest and most daring sinner cannot stand against God for who knows the power of his anger?

In some way a disciple of Christ will be put to the trial. May we seek to be disciples and be careful not to grow slack in our faith or to be afraid of the cross so that we may be the good salt of the earth to season those around us with the Savor of Christ.

Jesus is not teaching a new commandment of hating people. He is teaching about the cost of following Him.

The clue is in Luke 14:33 when Jesus says:

“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he cannot be my disciple.”

It’s about what we must be prepared to do to follow Jesus. It’s about giving up everything even our very lives for Him.

Jesus teaches that through faith in Him we have eternal life: John 3:16. Through His death on the cross we have the forgiveness of sins: Romans 6:23. Are we willing to place Him in first position and place the most important people in our lives in second place?

In Luke 14:25 crowds were following Jesus because they had seen him healing people, feeding people and teaching people at no cost. Why not follow Jesus? You could get something for nothing. However, in this passage we see Jesus turn around to them that are following him and say it is not without cost as you have to place him before other important people in your lives. You even have to place him before yourselves.

To get his point across he uses emotive and challenging language that you must hate everyone else. In so doing he is not saying that you do it literally but you must be prepared to put everything else second.

Thankfully most of us have never been put in a situation where we have had to choose between Christ and our loved ones. But imagine if you had been captured by religious terrorists and they demand that you deny Christ or watch one of your friends die what would you choose? Jesus is saying you must choose him. Daniel was put in that situation and was thrown into the lions den. Jesus saved him. Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego were thrown in a furnace. Jesus saved them also because they put Jesus first before themselves.

But the stress can be more difficult. In the stress of modern life and trying to make ends meet we can be tempted to cut down on religious activities, reading the bible or praying because we do not have time. It may be the things you are working hard for are good things that will provide your children with a better standard of education etc. Jesus is saying do not run after these things at my expense as nothing, not even your family, is more important than following me and obeying me.