Have You ever questioned something Jesus said? Have you scratched your head in confusion? Have you thought this is not what I was taught in Sunday School or heard in a sermon? Have you thought this sounds contradictory to everything I’ve heard about Jesus?
Jesus uses hyperbole in some of His teachings. We must understand this, and we must identify it. If we don’t, we risk taking His words literally rather than grasping the point He is making. Jesus would over exaggerate to drive home His point, often astonishing His audience.
Today’s passage is a prime example of Jesus using hyperbole. When He states that we must hate in order to be His disciple. It is an over exaggeration to drive His point home. The is the same Jesus who says we are to love everyone. Why the contradiction? It isn’t a contradiction. Jesus still wants us to love everyone. His point is that we cannot love anyone more than we love Him.
To be a disciple, or follower, of Jesus, we must make Him our number one love. He must come first in our life. It is only by putting Him first and loving Him with all our heart, mind, and soul that we can truly love others. It is only by loving Him with our entire being that we can be His disciple. As His disciple, we are His ambassador’s.
As Jesus’ ambassador, we are to represent Him and show His love to everyone we meet. In doing so, we can lead others to follow Him as well, which is our mission, our purpose in life. Yes, Jesus uses hyperbole, just like we do still today when we say, “I haven’t seen you in forever.” Forever isn’t quantified in time, though we use it to mean a relatively long time. So, don’t always take Jesus’ words literally. Ask yourself if He is using hyperbole, then learn the lesson He is teaching.
I pray we all seek to understand the point Jesus is teaching. I pray we discern Jesus using hyperbole at times. I pray each one of us makes Jesus number one in our lives and love everyone we meet. Seek understanding. Learn the lesson. Make Jesus number one. Love everyone.
Luke 14:25-26 Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”
Marty Pressey 