These Cannot Be Jesus' Disciple - Luke 14:26

Luke the beloved physician wrote concerning Jesus, “there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus said the following people, “cannot be” His “disciple” Jesus where we read:

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

The verse reads, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, ...” Luke began with the words, “If any man come to me” or “whether any person, male or female, arises, appears and follows Jesus”, “and hate not his father” which means “and detest not his male progenitor and ancestor”, “and mother” or “and his female progenitor and ancestor”, “and wife” which refers to “and a man's female spouse”, “and children” or “and offspring both male and female”, “and brethren” which means “and brothers whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother”, “and sisters” or “and sisters whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father and mother”, “yes, and his own life also” which means “even so and indeed and the person's own personal breath of life, seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions”. Luke shared how Jesus presented the idea of “following” Him and the cost a person incurs in their “family relationships” as well as their “own life”.

The verse goes on to say, “... he cannot be my disciple.” Luke continued the words, “he cannot be” or “that person whether male or female is unable and incapable of being” “my disciple” which means “Jesus' follower, learner, student, pupil and attendant”. Luke shared how Jesus declared people who value their “family members more than Him are unable to be His “disciples”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn one of the most difficult principles in “following” Jesus. Jesus wants people to believe and trust in Him over and above every other relationship in their lives. It is important to compare scripture with scripture when we come to passages like this one because we may make wrong conclusions about God's expectations if we disregard them. God must be “first” in a person's life, and when they realize they would have no relationships with their families except for God providing them, they begin to understand Jesus' words comparatively to the ones with their families. Those who carefully consider Jesus' words will understand having a relationship with Him will make their relationships with their families the best they can be, and because Jesus has our greatest interest at heart, He desires for us to have a relationship with Him first and all the others following.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".