We’ve had the following scripture explained to us often, but I would like for us to take a fresh look at it, today. Please turn with me to Luke…
Luk 14:26 "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.
G3404 (Strong)
Μισέω
miseō
mis-eh'-o
From a primary word μῖσος misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less: - hate (-ful).
In order to harmonize the idea that God is love, and we should only hate the sin, not the sinner, Jesus’ words are often characterized to mean, “love less”, as suggested in Strong’s Concordance.
A challenge for this mindset, though, is still found in creating a definition of love that has levels of value to it. So, one way to deal with that is to explain, that, where there is a conflict of interest, we take the side of godly righteousness rather than human reasoning.
My spouse wants me to go to a party on Friday night, a type of party I might be willing to attend at any time other than the Sabbath, but, because of the Sabbath, I decline the offer. I have made the decision to obey Christ rather than the will of my spouse who does not keep the Sabbath.
Isa 58:13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,
Isa 58:14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Let’s revisit this word used for “hate”, viewing Thayer’s Greek Lexicon…
G3404 (Thayer)
Μισέω
miseō
Thayer’s Definition:
1) to hate, pursue with hatred, detest
2) to be hated, detested
Thayer adds a very interesting perspective in the use of this word, miseō, in that he turns the use of the word around in one of the definitions, being hated, being detested.
The verse in Luke might look something more like this…
Luk 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and is not hated by his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Oftentimes in my own life, and you might have experienced it, too, when I’ve had to refuse to do something because I didn’t believe the behavior or activity was in line with Christ, the person or group wanting to influence me to do said behavior or activity became angry with me. I’ve been called a judger, or self-righteous, even though all I was doing was choosing to obey the only One who is righteous, God, as defined through the commands of Jesus.
“Their response to your obedience”
It doesn’t always happen that way, but it has happened, and when it happens, those have been defining moments for me in the realm of obedience. And this is because, when they get angry or try to persuade me against my decision, I have been tested in putting God above anybody else, even my own desires.
So, revisiting my spouse who asked me to a party… Well, maybe I could go to the party just this once so that I don’t offend my spouse who doesn’t want to go alone? I might say such a thing to myself for two different reasons.
I could be simply desiring not to offend my spouse.
I could also be one to desire to go to the party and justify what is borne from my self-desire.
If I give in to either of those reasonings, I am choosing my spouse or myself over the will of God.
Jhn 10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
Jhn 10:26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Jhn 10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
It may be completely acceptable to love others less than God, if what that means is, you choose God over others and yourself where there is a conflict of interest, and this would be in terms of obedience to God, but there is a very real-life experience we have all had where others become offended by our choice to obey, which causes them to detest our so-called philosophy, and even hate us personally, because they feel judged.
We have seen this kind of behavior in spades, relating to gender and sexuality issues of the last 15 years and in matters of political and medicinal compliance in the last 5 years. In all of these scenarios, the challenge has been to choose God, even when you are accused of hating others.
Jhn 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Jhn 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
God’s Holy Spirit is granted as a down payment on salvation to those who love Jesus, our Christ, that love being expressed foundationally in obedience. So, it doesn’t matter if people turn the tables on us, accusing us of despising them, when, in truth, they are despising God, because we abide in the love of Christ, exemplified through His obedience to the Father who loved Him.
