Hated Father....Luke 14:26

[Richard King]

How would you explain the true meaning of this verse???


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

 

[Laura]

I've always thought of "despised" here as being in the same sense as Matthew 6:24--"no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other." Maybe that's not quite accurate, though.

 

[Scott Bushey]

It's a hierarchy........Hyperbolous statement.

 

[Richard King]

do any of you who study the Greek and Hebrew have a translation or some meaning (for the word hate in that verse ) that could be better expressed than through the word hate?

 

[Scott Bushey]

G3404
μισεÌω
miseō
mis-eh'-o
From a primary word μῖσος misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less: - hate (-ful).

Same word used to describe Esau:

Rom 9:13 As2531 it is written,1125 Jacob2384 have I loved,25 but1161 Esau2269 have I hated.3404

However, in the termonology used by Christ it is hyperbolous as we all know that we are to respect our parents w/ honor as well as (even) love those we would necessarilly hate (enemies).

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

As Scott pointed out we are commanded to love even our enemies and certainly to love and honor our parents. But is there some inherent conflict or tension between the First and Fifth Commandments? Elsewhere Christ teaches us that

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(Matthew 22.37-40)

As Zacharias Ursinus says:

There is, however, notwithstanding these points of similarity, a very great difference between the precepts of the first and second table. They differ, 1. In their objects. The object of the first table is God himself; the object of the second is our neighbor. By as much, therefore, as God is greater than our neighbor, by so much the greater and more important is the obedience of the first table, than the second; and by as much as our neighbor is inferior to God, by so much does the obedience of the second table fall under that of the first. 2. They differ in respect to order, or consequence. The obedience of the first table is chief, and supreme: the obedience of the second falls beneath that of the first, and is depending upon it. Nay it is only because we love God, that we love our neighbor. Obedience to the first table is the cause of obedience to the second. Love to our neighbor grounds itself in love to God; but not contrariwise. So Christ says, "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." (Luke 14:26.) It is now on account of these two chief points of difference that the precepts of the second table may correctly be said to give place to those of the first.

The Fifth Commandment which teaches us to honor our parents is binding at all times, and never truly conflicts with the First Commandment, which is to love the Lord our God. However, if in loving and honoring our parents we give to them which belongs to God alone we in fact break both commandments by making an idol of our parents.

As Thomas Boston says:

He hates not his father, mother, etc. He who taught us in the law, to love our neighbour as ourselves, does not contradict this here, but speaks out what was implied there, that we must neither love our neighbour nor ourselves, as God. It is not an absolute, but a comparative hatred which is here meant; that is, a less love, Gen 29:31, "And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated:" that is, less loved than Rachel. Similar instances occur, as in Deut 21:15; John 12:25. And thus it is explained, Matt 10:37, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." A man must leave father and mother to cleave to his wife; but he must leave his wife, yea, and his life also, to cleave to Christ. Levi gave a practical commentary on this text, Deut 33:9, "Who said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children; for they observed thy word, and kept thy covenant." And so did that disciple-like resolution of Jerome: "If my father should stand before me," says he, "my mother hang upon me, my brethren press about me, I would break through my brethren, throw down my father, tread under feet my mother, to cleave to Jesus Christ." So said a certain Dutch schoolmaster, being asked, if he loved not his wife and children? "Yea," says he, "if all the world were gold, and mine to dispose of, I would give it all to live with them, though but in a prison; yet is my soul and my Lord Christ dearer than all." But perhaps this is only the attainment of few. Mistake it not, but hear.

Keith Green applied this principle to a different family relationship:

Well I pledge my wife to heaven, for the gospel,
Though our love each passing day just seems to grow.
As I told her when we wed, I´d surely rather be found dead,
Than to love her more than the one who saved my soul.

Our parents are worthy of our dearest and fondest affections and great earthly honors, but they are but flesh and blood like ourselves. They can and will fail us, and when they seek to impede our communion with God, we must be sure that we obey God rather than men (Acts 5.29). Our attitude must be that of the Psalmist:

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

(Ps. 27.10)

 

[CalsFarmer]

In my humble opinion not buying into what your parents automatically expect you to believe especially if it is wrong. Its not a hatred of them personally but a hatred of what they do if they are not christian....its a turning away if you will....

I buy into nothing my mom says......or does..I have too many scars and bad memories from doing so. That in itself has caused a real division but thats the way it is....