Musing- Are We Really to Hate Our Father and Mother?

Hebraic Musing- Are We Really to Hate Our Father and Mother?

Jesus is quoted as saying "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'”  Matt. 5:43 NIV    And even more surprisingly, Jesus actually said (through biblical translation) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:26   

Didn’t it bother you when you read that Jesus actually told us to “Hate” someone?  And especially since to hate our parents would be direct violation of a key commandment – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Ex 20:12 

As usual, the answer is in a misunderstanding due to translation problems AND a big difference between Hebrew-think vs. the Greek-think in our Western culture and of Bible translators.  See a more complete explanation below.**

The word “Hate(d)” is from the Greek NT:3404 to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less:  I have found that if I substitute “to love less”, many verses make a lot more sense.  For example, “Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’" in Romans 9:13 where Paul referenced Malachi 1:3.  Considering Esau’s many blessings it is clear that God loved Esau and bestowed on him many blessings, but Jacob received the blessing of lineage.

Matthew has a better way of conveying those messages.  "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;…”  Matt 10:37   Matthew clearly recognized Jesus’ intention, the need to love Him more! 

Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg* described it this way – “Did Jesus call upon people to stop honoring their parents?  Most definitely not!  The Messiah did, however, call His followers to a life of radical discipleship and overwhelming love for Him, such that even their very great love for their own parents would seem pale and weak by comparison.”

Seems to me that Jesus is stressing the first commandment - "You shall have no other gods before me.” Ex 20:3 (which He also wrote!)

Points to ponder

The Bible says “love your neighbor as yourself” 10 time in the NIV Bible.
How much do you love yourself?

How can we possibly love Jesus even more than ourselves!?!?!?
Start with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Deut. 6:5   Matt. 22:37   Mark 12:30    Luke 10:27

 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,…”  Matt 6:33

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          August 27, 2019

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*  Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Jewish Insights Into Scripture” by Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, p.14

** Greek-think deals with contrasts – Yes or No; Good or Evil; Holy or Satanic; Religious or Secular; either Law or Grace; Light or Dark; Blessed or Cursed; Hot or Cold, Either/Or…   
Whereas Hebrew-think does not deal with contrasts, but rather with “is or isn’t”; Holy or Unholy; Have or have not; Light or no light; Hot or not hot; Blessed or not blessed; Good or not good;…