Living in the Spirit

September 3, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 14:25-33

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. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

I wonder sometimes why translators pick the English word they want to use to help us understand the Hebrew or Greek language used in scripture. Hate is a very strong word, and I think that must have been what the translators were trying to portray, strength not despising someone. Jesus instructed us saying, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” That is strong language. (Matthew 22:37). The word miseó, translated here as hate, also means to love less or to esteem less. These definitions fit nicely with the commandment that we are to have no other gods before us. (Exodus 20:3-5) I was taught that loving God fully and first makes our love for one another even better than it would be if we did not love God at all. God’s love is as good as it gets. God’s love for us models our love for others.

Prayer: Thank you God for loving us and for modeling how to love one another. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/3404.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.