GOSPEL REFLECTION, WEDNESDAY, WEEK 31 IN ORDINARY TIME, 4 NOVEMBER 2026, ST CHARLES BORROMEO, BISHOP

Luke 14:25-33.  Today’s gospel concerns the cost of discipleship for those who follow and commit to Jesus Messiah.  The context of our text is the long journey the disciples and Jesus were making towards Jerusalem.  On the way, Jesus teaches to large crowds proclaiming the Kingdom, instructing them what consequences followed on becoming his disciple.  Apart from the excitement of the crowds at hearing his words, he sought to tell them what the consequences of discipleship would be.  In order to do so, he resorted to a typical rabbinic way of preaching which was to use hyperbole, exaggeration in order to make his point.  This brings us to a word in today’s text – hate – as Jesus told them that they must ‘hate father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister’ in order to be his disciple.  Many, many people have stumbled over these words,’  wondering how hating one’s relatives and family has anything to do with Jesus’ proclamation of Kingdom love which applied even to one’s enemies and to anyone who treated us badly.  How could this possibly be?  The high-power word could not possibly mean that we must detest our closest kin, abhor them, reject them, treat them with disdain.

The key is this: Jesus uses the hyperbolic word ‘hate’ to mean that in relation to their commitment to God and himself, all else, no exception, comes second.  Now some people will still find that hard to accept, but those who accept to be his disciple must realize there are costly consequences.   Biblical commentators and linguists have analysed this word in context of our text, but scriptural translation requires we use the word as given.  However, in context of the gospel, Jesus’ word ‘hate’ is an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to love less,’ as an examination of other scriptures helps us to see.  For example, looking at Genesis 29:31-33 and Malachi 1:2-3 helps us to understand this.  Jesus’ teaching to his disciples is that their loyalty to him takes first place, to anyone and everything else second place.  A surrender to Christ as our Lord even outweighs commitments to others, including family, which does not mean ‘hating them’ in the English sense, for we must love them too, but second to our primary commitment to the Lord.  Now many people will still find this difficult to accept; but for the disciple, the difference is faith, which means to place our primary trust in God in Christ through the grace of the Holy Spirit; all else comes second.