DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER / LUKE 14:26-27

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Luke 14:26-27

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. ²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

The Cost of Discipleship: What It Means to “Hate” Your Family for Christ

When we read the words of Jesus in Luke 14:26-27, they can feel incredibly jarring. He tells the crowd: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Hate our parents? Hate our families? For a Savior who commands us to love our neighbors and honor our parents, this sounds completely contradictory.

But if we take a closer look, we discover a profound truth about the kind of devotion Jesus calls us to.

Understanding the Hyperbole

Jesus frequently used hyperbole—a literary device involving clear exaggeration for greater emphasis—to drive home a radical point. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, the word “hate” was often used as an idiom meaning “to love less” or to choose one thing over another.

We see this exact pattern elsewhere in Scripture:

• Jacob and Leah: In Genesis 29:31, the text says Leah was “hated,” but the context immediately clarifies that Jacob simply loved Rachel more than Leah.
• The parallel in Matthew: In Matthew 10:37, Jesus says the exact same teaching in a different way: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.”

Jesus isn’t commanding malice or emotional hatred toward our loved ones. Instead, He is demanding that our loyalty and love for Him be so overwhelmingly vast that, by comparison, our deepest earthly affections look like “hate.”

The Call to Ultimate Loyalty

True discipleship introduces a higher loyalty into our lives. Jesus demands first place. He requires a love that takes precedence over family, comfort, country, and even our very lives.

Carrying a cross isn’t about tolerating a minor daily annoyance; it is a posture of total surrender. It means that when our allegiance to Christ conflicts with the expectations of the world—or even the desires of those we love most—Christ wins every single time. Paradoxically, when we love Jesus above all else, we are actually empowered to love our families with a healthier, holier, and more selfless love.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Your words challenge us to our very core. We confess that it is easy to let the good gifts You have given us—our families, our comforts, and our own ambitions—take the place that belongs only to You. Forgive us for the times we have compromised our loyalty to Christ to keep the peace or seek comfort.

Lord Jesus, refine our hearts today. Give us the grace to love You above anything and everyone else. Help us to carry our cross daily, dying to our own desires so that we may truly live for You. May our devotion to Your Kingdom be unmistakable, and may our earthly relationships be transformed by our ultimate love for You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT BANQUET / LUKE 14:15-24
2. EXALTS HIMSELF … HUMBLED / LUKE 14:11
3. SUFFERING FROM DROPSY / LUKE 14:2
4. THE LORD’S GREAT SORROW / LUKE 13:34
5. LAST WILL BE FIRST / LUKE 13:30
6. THE NARROW DOOR / LUKE 13:24
7. THE YEAST / LUKE 13:21
8. MUSTARD SEED / LUKE 13:19
9. THIS WOMAN … SATAN HAS KEPT BOUND / LUKE 13:16
10. CRIPPLED BY A SPIRIT / LUKE 13:10-11
11. FIG TREE CUT IT DOWN / LUKE 13:6-9
12. I HAVE CAME TO CAST FIRE … DIVISION / LUKE 12:49-51
13. BEATEN WITH FEW BLOWS / LUKE 12:47-48
14. MY MASTER IS DELAYED / LUKE 12:45
15. FAITHFUL AND UNFAITHFUL MANAGER – SERVANT / LUKE 12:42-48
16. WHEN YOU DO NOT EXPECT HIM / LUKE 12:40
17. IT WILL BE GOOD FOR THOSE SERVANTS / LUKE 12:38
18. WAITING FOR THEIR MASTER /LUKE 12:36
19. DRESSED READY FOR SERVICE / LUKE 12:35-40
20. YOUR TREASURE … YOUR HEART / LUKE 12:34
21. SELL YOUR POSSESSIONS / LUKE 12:33
22. SEEK HIS KINGDOM / LUKE 12:31
23. HOW MUCH MORE VALUABLE / LUKE 12:24
24. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE / LUKE 12:22
25. GUARD AGAINST GREED / LUKE 12:15
26. BLASPHEMES AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT / LUKE 12:10
27. HE WHO DISOWNS ME / LUKE 12:9
28. ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE MEN / LUKE 12:8
29. FEAR HIM / LUKE 12:5
30. HYPOCRISY / LUKE 12:1
31. WOE TO YOU / LUKE 11:42
32. YOUR EYE IS THE LAMP OF YOUR BODY / LUKE 11:34
33. SEVEN OTHER SPIRITS … LIVE THERE / LUKE 11:26
34. WHO IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME / LUKE 11:23
35. DEMONS … THE KINGDOM OF GOD / LUKE 11:20
36. GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK / LUKE 11:13
37. GIVE HIM A SNAKE / LUKE 11:11
38. ASK … SEEK … KNOCK / LUKE 11:9
39. OUR DAILY BREAD / LUKE 11:3
40. THE LORD’S PRAYER / LUKE 11:1-4
41. ONE THING IS NEEDED / LUKE 10:41-42
42. THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN / LUKE 10:30
43. LOVE THE LORD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR / LUKE 10:27
44. THE WISE … LITTLE CHILDREN / LUKE 10:21
45. DO NOT REJOICE / LUKE 10:20
46. SNAKES AND SCORPIONS / LUKE 10:19
47. I SAW SATAN FALL / LUKE 10:18
48. HEAL THE SICK … THE KINGDOM OF GOD / LUKE 10:9
49. LAMBS AMONG WOLVES / LUKE 10:3
50. THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL
51. SENT THEM TWO BY TWO / LUKE 10:1
52. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD / LUKE 9:60
53. REBUKED THEM / LUKE 9:55-56
54. THE PEOPLE DID NOT WELCOME HIM / LUKE 9:52-53
55. UNBELIEVING GENERATION / LUKE 9:41
56. THE TRANSFIGURATION / LUKE 9:29
57. SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD / LUKE 9:27
58. ASHAMED OF ME / LUKE 9:26
59. WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE / LUKE 9:24
60. TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY / LUKE 9:23
61. WARNED THEM NOT TO TELL / LUKE 9:21
62. FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND / LUKE 9:12-17
63. HEROD THE TETRARCH / LUKE 9:7
64. PREACH THE KINGDOM … HEAL THE SICK / LUKE 9:2
65. AUTHORITY TO DRIVE OUT ALL DEMONS / LUKE 9:1
66. DON’T BE AFRAID JUST BELIEVE / LUKE 8:50
67. TOUCHED HIS CLOAK / LUKE 8:44
68. A DEMON-POSSESSED MAN / LUKE 8:27-33
69. MY MOTHER AND BROTHERS / LUKE 8:21
70. WHOEVER HAS WILL BE GIVEN MORE / LUKE 8:18
71. CHOKED BY LIFE’S WORRIES / LUKE 8:14
72. BELIEVE FOR A WHILE … FALL AWAY / LUKE 8:13
73. TAKES AWAY THE WORD / LUKE 8:12
74. PARABLE OF THE SOWER / LUKE 8:5
75. PARABLE / LUKE 8:4
76. HELPING TO SUPPORT THEM / LUKE 8:3
77. SHE LOVED MUCH / LUKE 7:47
78. WEEPING / LUKE 7:37-38
79. WISDOM IS PROVED RIGHT BY ALL HER CHILDREN / LUKE 7:35
80. GLUTTON AND A DRUNKARD / LUKE 7:34
81. JOHN / LUKE 7:28
82. A REED SWAYED / LUKE 7:24
83. HIS HEART WENT OUT TO HER / LUKE 7:13
84. SUCH GREAT FAITH / LUKE 7:9
85. DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY / LUKE 6:46
86. HIS HEART / LUKE 6:45
87. GIVE / LUKE 6:38
88. DO NOT JUDGE / LUKE 6:37
89. DO NOT STOP HIM FROM TAKING YOUR TUNIC / LUKE 6:29
90. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES / LUKE 6:27
91. WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL MEN SPEAK WELL / LUKE 6:26
92. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH / LUKE 6:24
93. HOW THEIR FATHERS TREATED THE PROPHETS / LUKE 6:23
94. WHEN MEN HATE YOU / LUKE 6:22
95. YOU WHO WEEP / LUKE 6:21
96. BLESSED YOU WHO ARE POOR / LUKE 6:20
97. SERMON ON THE PLAIN / LUKE 6:17-19
98. SPENT THE NIGHT PRAYING / LUKE 6:12
99. JESUS AND THE SABBATH / LUKE 6:2-10
100. SABBATH / LUKE 6:1
101. ‘THE OLD IS BETTER’ / LUKE 5:39
102. NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / LUKE 5:37
103. IN THOSE DAYS THEY WILL FAST / LUKE 5:35
104. EAT AND DRINK WITH … ‘SINNERS’ / LUKE 5:30
105. SON OF MAN / LUKE 5:24
106. JESUS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING / LUKE 5:22
107. CARRYING A PARALYTIC / LUKE 5:18
108. THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT / LUKE 5:17
109. PRAYERS OF JESUS / LUKE 5:16
110. YOU WILL CATCH MEN / LUKE 5:9-10
111. HEALED THEM / LUKE 4:40
112. AN EVIL SPIRIT / LUKE 4:33-35
113. HIS MESSAGE HAD AUTHORITY / LUKE 4:32
114. HE HAS ANOINTED ME / LUKE 4:18-19
115. THE SPIRIT ON ME / LUKE 4:18
116. SATAN’S USE OF SCRIPTURE / LUKE 4:10
117. THE DEVIL / LUKE 4:9
118. THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD / LUKE 4:5
119. DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE / LUKE 4:4
120. JESUS FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT / LUKE 4:1-2
121. JESUS’ GENEALOGY / LUKE 3:23
122. HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED ON HIM / LUKE 3:22
123. HE WILL BURN UP THE CHAFF / LUKE 3:17
124. BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / LUKE 3:16
125. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / LUKE 3:8
126. CAESAR … PILATE … HEROD / LUKE 3:1-2
127. JESUS GREW IN WISDOM / LUKE 2:52
128. I HAD TO BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE / LUKE 2:49-51
129. THE CHILD GREW / LUKE 2:39-40
130. ANNA … WORHIPED / LUKE 2:36-38
131. A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR OWN SOUL / LUKE 2:33-35
132. RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT – WAITING FOR THE CONSOLATION / LUKE 2:25-32
133. A PAIR OF DOVES / LUKE 2:24
134. PRESENT HIM TO THE LORD / LUKE 2:22-23
135. THEY SPREAD THE WORD / LUKE 2:17-18
136. A SAVIOR … CHRIST THE LORD / LUKE 2:11
137. THE NATIONS YOUR INHERITANCE / PSALMS 2:8
138. A MANGER / LUKE 2:6-7
139. HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS / LUKE 1:68-75
140. GOD MY SAVIOR / LUKE 1:46-47
141. AS YOU HAVE SAID / LUKE 1:38
142. THE HOLY ONE / LUKE 1:34-35
143. HIS FATHER DAVID / LUKE 1:32-33
144. YOU WHO ARE HIGHLY FAVORED / LUKE 1:28
145. PLEDGED TO BE MARRIED / LUKE 1:26-27
146. SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH – THE FATHERS OF THEIR CLILDREN / LUKE 1:17
147. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT – WINE FERMENTED DRINK / LUKE 1:15
148. DIVISION OF ABIJAH DESCENDANT OF AARON / LUKE 1:5
149. THEOPHILUS / LUKE 1:1-4
150. Crews N Away: Anchored in Grace

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace