Luke 14 26

Luke 14:26 kjv

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 nkjv

"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.

Luke 14:26 niv

"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 14:26 esv

"If 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.

Luke 14:26 nlt

"If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else ? your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters ? yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14 26 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Matt 10:37"Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me...".Prioritizing Jesus over family
Matt 10:38-39"...and whoever does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it...".Self-denial, following Christ's suffering
Matt 16:24-25"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross...".Cost of discipleship; losing life for Christ
Luke 9:23-24"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me."Daily self-denial; absolute commitment
John 12:25"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."Losing earthly life for eternal life
Phil 3:7-8"...whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ."Valuing Christ above all personal gain
Acts 20:24"But I do not account my life of any value... if only I may finish my course and the ministry...".Prioritizing Christ's mission over life
1 John 2:15-17"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."Choosing divine over worldly affections
Deut 13:6-9"...If your brother, the son of your mother...entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods'...you shall not yield...".Absolute allegiance to God above family
Deut 33:9"who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’...For they observed Your word...".Levites choosing God's law over family
Josh 24:15"...choose this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."Decisive commitment to God's service
Psalm 73:25-26"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You."God as supreme desire
Rom 8:35-39"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...neither death nor life...".Indivisible devotion to Christ
Heb 11:6"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe...".Prioritizing God through faith over comfort
2 Cor 5:14-15"For the love of Christ controls us...He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves...".Christ's lordship over personal desires
Luke 18:28-30Peter said, "See, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus replied, "There is no one who has left house or wife...who will not receive many times more...".Rewards for radical commitment
1 Cor 7:29-31"from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none...".Temporality of earthly attachments
Jer 12:7-8"I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My heritage; I have given the beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies."God's willingness to abandon even what He "loves" for righteousness, mirroring the concept of comparison.
Lam 3:19-20"Remember my affliction and my wanderings... My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me."Illustrates the intensity of human experience, showing how a person can "hate" a state of being for the sake of relief or transformation.
Luke 14:28-33Parables about counting the cost (tower builder, king going to war).Contextual demand for calculating commitment
Luke 16:13"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other."Absolute choice of allegiance
Mark 8:34"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."Self-denial is prerequisite

Luke 14 verses

Luke 14 26 Meaning

Luke 14:26 conveys Jesus' radical demand for absolute prioritization in discipleship. It calls for a singular, supreme loyalty to Him that, in comparison, makes all other earthly attachments—even the closest family relationships and one's own life—appear as "hate." This is not a call for literal animosity, but an emphatic statement that Christ's claims must stand unrivaled above all else in a disciple's life.

Luke 14 26 Context

Luke 14:26 is part of Jesus' teaching on the cost of discipleship. It immediately follows the parable of the Great Banquet, where many invited guests offered excuses to decline the invitation. Jesus then turns to the "great crowds" (Lk 14:25) following Him, making it clear that following Him involves a radical re-evaluation of all priorities, directly preceding the parables of the Tower Builder and the King going to War (Lk 14:28-33), which emphasize the necessity of "counting the cost" before embarking on discipleship. The historical context reveals that family ties were supremely important in Jewish society, representing a primary source of identity, security, and honor. Jesus' statement directly challenges this foundational cultural norm, demonstrating that loyalty to Him must transcend even the most sacred human bonds, positioning His call as profoundly counter-cultural and demanding total allegiance.

Luke 14 26 Word analysis

  • If anyone comes to Me: This signifies an intentional act of approaching Jesus, seeking to follow Him. It implies more than casual interest or a passing affiliation, demanding personal volition and a decisive turning.
  • and does not hate: The Greek word here is miseō (μισέω). This is a Semitic idiom or hyperbole. In Hebrew and Aramaic thought, "to hate" could mean to "love less" or to "regard as less important" in comparison to something else. It does not signify literal animosity, ill will, or malice. For example, in Gen 29:30-31, it states that Jacob "loved Rachel more than Leah," and then says Leah was "hated." Similarly, Deut 21:15 refers to a man with two wives, one "loved" and one "hated." This usage highlights a preference or lesser esteem. Jesus demands that one's love for Him must be so supreme that love for all others, by comparison, seems like "hate."
  • his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters: This lists all primary immediate family relationships. In the ancient world, family loyalty was paramount. This statement thus cuts to the core of societal and personal allegiance, underscoring that discipleship requires an unreserved reordering of one's deepest loyalties, placing Christ above the closest human connections.
  • yes, and his own life also: The Greek word for "life" here is psychē (ψυχή), which can refer to one's soul, self, or vital being. This takes the demand for allegiance beyond external relationships to the ultimate internal surrender: self-preservation, self-will, and one's very existence. It means prioritizing Christ's call and kingdom over one's own desires, comfort, security, ambitions, and even physical life itself.
  • he cannot be My disciple: The Greek dunatai einai mathētēs mou (δύναται εἶναι μαθητής μου) means "he is not able to be My disciple." This is an absolute statement, setting a clear, non-negotiable prerequisite for genuine discipleship. It indicates that true following of Christ is intrinsically defined by this radical prioritization, not merely an optional step for a select few.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother...": This opening clause establishes the voluntary, yet highly demanding, nature of responding to Jesus' call. The "hate" immediately challenges conventional understandings of familial love, revealing the stark reorientation required.
  • "...wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also...": The progressive list moves from immediate family to extended family, culminating in the surrender of "his own life." This progression intensifies the demand, showing the all-encompassing nature of the required allegiance, touching every aspect of one's being and relationships.
  • "...he cannot be My disciple.": This definitive conclusion serves as an unalterable condition. It sets the boundary for authentic discipleship, meaning that without this supreme devotion, one fundamentally fails to grasp or embody what it means to truly follow Christ.

Luke 14 26 Bonus section

The demanding nature of this verse often causes discomfort or misinterpretation, leading some to dilute its meaning. However, it's essential to understand that Jesus does not contradict other commands to honor parents or love one's neighbor. Rather, He establishes a hierarchy of love, asserting His rightful claim as Lord above all. This "hating" is truly about acknowledging His absolute Lordship, where obedience to Him takes precedence when loyalties collide. This supreme allegiance ultimately prepares a disciple for a deeper, more enduring joy and purpose found in Christ, outweighing any temporal loss. The alternative to this radical devotion is inability to truly follow Jesus, emphasizing that Christ demands everything, offering Himself as everything in return. This commitment reflects a love for Christ so great that it is expressed in action, prioritizing His will and kingdom above all else.

Luke 14 26 Commentary

Luke 14:26 is a challenging, radical statement from Jesus designed to deter superficial followers and define genuine discipleship. It highlights that discipleship is not merely an addition to one's life, but a complete reordering where Christ occupies the supreme position. The "hate" employed here is hyperbole, a Semitic way of expressing "love less by comparison" or "preferencing less." It is a divine redirection of affection, not an instruction for malice or abandonment of natural human responsibility. Instead, it signifies that our love for Jesus must be so incomparably intense that all other loyalties, even to closest family and self-preservation, must fade into insignificance when weighed against our devotion to Him. True discipleship, therefore, necessitates an exclusive and singular allegiance to Christ that transforms one's very priorities and identity.

Practical examples might include:

  • Choosing to obey Christ's command (e.g., to share the gospel or pursue a mission calling) even when it conflicts with deeply held family traditions or expectations.
  • Prioritizing kingdom values (e.g., justice, compassion, holiness) above personal comfort, security, or worldly ambition.
  • Sacrificing personal reputation or acceptance by others for the sake of bearing witness to Christ's truth.