25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-26, New International Version)
Theme: Discipleship
Context:
Last week we introduced Rowan Williams’ claim that staying with/abiding in Jesus is a defining identity trait of Jesus’ disciples. The discipline of Bible study equips us to test this potentially transformative claim. Williams’ claim is supported by preconditions of discipleship that Jesus demanded. Jesus demanded total allegiance and commitment from His disciples. In fact, where the commitment and allegiance of His disciples were concerned, Jesus used very stark language. He said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” How could Jesus tell large crowds that “hating” their families and their lives were preconditions of being His disciple?
Jesus was, of course, not suggesting that prospective disciples hate their families and their own lives. Instead, He used two of the highest priorities in life as reference points to communicate the requirement for His disciples to authentically make Him top priority.
Bible Passage:
As you read today’s Scripture passage, imagine yourself observing the large crowds traveling with Jesus and listening intently to Jesus’ proclamation. Consider that some of the people in these crowds would likely have experienced or heard about the miraculous things Jesus had done. Consider the different motivations people may have for following Jesus and consider why Jesus would have elected to express the implications of following him in stark terms.
Questions:
- What Scripture passage(s) would you refer to as proof that Jesus was not requesting that His disciples hate their families?
- Why does Jesus have the authority to demand total commitment from His disciples?
Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else. Please leave a comment on the blog.