Website owner: James Miller
There are many statements that Jesus made that are cryptic,
puzzling, hard to understand. Even his disciples had
difficulty understanding some of the things he said. Consider
the following statement:
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
If we attempt to take the statement literally, it would be
quite perplexing, especially considering the emphasis Jesus
placed on loving one's neighbor. And surely he wasn't
suggesting abandoning our father, mother, wife, children, etc.
In I Timothy we read:
But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those
of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an
infidel.
I Timothy 5:8
So what was he attempting to say? To answer that we need to
use our reason and common sense, consider other things he said.
From statements he made about loving your neighbor and the
general thrust of what he taught, we know he couldn't have
meant it literally. I think he meant simply that if we want to
follow him we must put God first, put Him ahead of father,
mother, wife, children, etc. If this is what he meant, why he
didn't say it more clearly, I don't know. In this case I wonder
if the word hate has possibly been translated inaccurately.
There are many passages in the Bible that are hard to
understand. The lesson here is that in trying to understand
them we must use our reason and common sense and consider other
scripture, consider the general thrust of what the Bible
teaches.
Aug 2011
More from SolitaryRoad.com:
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life