Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
No one could ever accuse Lord Jesus of sugar coating the requirements of following Him. There is simply no ground for complaining that Jesus misrepresented the cost of being His disciple. He was perfectly clear on many occasions. His expectations are high.
“Hate your own family and life when you choose to follow Me.”
This is no small commitment and leaves us with much to ponder regarding the details of such a call. He pulls no punches. He wants your undivided attention. He wants your allegiance to Him to supersede allegiance to any other and even this feels like an understatement when compared with His actual words.
Hate is a strong word, especially when applied to those we love the most.
Ventanas 