"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 15:26).
“Anyone who puts his love for father or mother above his love for me does not deserve to be mine, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38).
To our western way of thinking hating our father and mother seems a confusing thing. It always confused me. I tended to reason it out by saying it meant “in comparison to Jesus”. I think I may understand now.
I am currently reading a book about a Pakistani woman who becomes a Christian and she mentions the verses in Matthew (listed above). If you understand the culture of the Middle East than this suddenly makes since.
First off, let’s explain love and hate in the way the Bible speaks. In the Bible love is considered more of an action “love is patient love is kind…” etcetera. Why not hate. Hate as an action would be in theory the exact opposite of this.
Now to write about the Middle Eastern culture: In that area of the world, the Middle East and the area surrounding it, everything is about honor. You do wrong and it affects your whole family. Every member is put into shame because of one member’s action. This is the reason for so many drowning of women amongst Muslim families. It was to repair the honor the woman wrecked.
Ok, so now for the dent in this. In Muslim belief, the worst you can do sinfully wise, is believe that Jesus is the son of God. That is worse than even adultery. People are murdered in honor killings for less. If a member of the family becomes a Christian in the Muslim society the whole family is be implicated. No one would give their daughters into marriage into that family and no man would marry a sister or daughter of a Christian. People would ostracize the whole family not just the one. So in essence if a Muslim becomes a Christian in the Muslim world, they just gave their family hell on earth (at least until that family gets rid of the maker of the hell through death or shunning).
Now for the topper: in the time period of Jesus amongst the Hebrews, it was exactly the same (minus honor killings on the most part). Everything was about honor and the whole family was implicated in one person’s deed. Jesus was in essence telling the people to care more about Him than about the honor and livelihood of their family.
Tough choice.
Are we willing to risk so much for Christ?
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