THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 14 - Verse 26

Verses 25-27. See Barnes "Mt 10:37"; See Barnes "Mt 10:38".

Verse 26. And hate not. The word hate, here, means simply to love less. See the meaning of the verse in See Barnes "Mt 10:37.

It may be thus expressed:

"He that comes after me, and does not love his

father less than he loves me, &c., cannot be

my disciple."

We are not at liberty literally to hate our parents. This would be expressly contrary to the fifth commandment. See also Eph 6:1-3; Co 3:20. But we are to love them less than we love Christ; we are to obey Christ rather than them; we are to be willing to forsake them if he calls us to go and preach his gospel; and we are to submit, without a murmur, to him when he takes them away from us. This is not an uncommon meaning of the word hate in the Scriptures. Comp. Mal 1:2,3; Ge 29:30,31; De 21:15-17.

{v} "and hate not his father" De 33:9; Mt 10:37 {w} "his own life" Ac 20:24; Re 12:11