Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

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WEBBE

“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

BSB

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple.

KJV

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

ASV

If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

BBE

And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.

Original Greek

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εἴ ei If G1487 τις tis anyone G5100 ἔρχεται erchetai comes G2064 πρός pros to G4314 με me Me G3165 καὶ kai and G2532 οὐ ou not G3756 μισεῖ misei he hates G3404 τὸν ton the G3588 πατέρα patera father G3962 ἑαυτοῦ he'autou of himself G1438 καὶ kai and G2532 τὴν tēn the G3588 μητέρα mētera mother G3384 καὶ kai and G2532 τὴν tēn the G3588 γυναῖκα gunaika wife G1135 καὶ kai and G2532 τὰ ta the G3588 τέκνα tekna children G5043 καὶ kai and G2532 τοὺς tous the G3588 ἀδελφοὺς adelphous brothers G80 καὶ kai and G2532 τὰς tas the G3588 ἀδελφάς adelphas sisters G79 ἔτι eti yes G2089 τε te and G5037 καὶ kai even G2532 τὴν tēn the G3588 ψυχὴν psuchēn life G5590 ἑαυτοῦ he'autou his own G1438 οὐ ou not G3756 δύναται dunatai he is able G1410 εἶναί einai to be G1511 μου mou My G3165 μαθητής mathētēs disciple G3101

The early church

For if for thy sake the Lord renounces His own mother, saying, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? (Matt. 12:48, Mark 3:33.) why dost thou deserve to be preferred to thy Lord? But the Lord will have us neither be ignorant of nature, nor be her slaves, but so to submit to nature, that we reverence the Author of nature, and depart not from God out of love to our parents.
Ambrose of Milan · d. 397Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
But life must not be renounced, which both in the body and the soul the blessed Paul also preserved, that yet living in the body he might preach Christ. But when it was necessary to despise life so that he might finish his course, he counts not his life dear unto him. (Acts 20:24.)
Cyril of Alexandria · d. 444Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(in Hom. ut sup.) But it may be asked, how are we bid to hate our parents and our relations in the flesh, who are commanded to love even our enemies? But if we weigh the force of the command we are able to do both, by rightly distinguishing them so as both to love those who are united to us by the bond of the flesh, and whom we acknowledge our relations, and by hating and avoiding not to know those whom we find our enemies in the way of God. For he is as it were loved by hatred, who in his carnal wisdom, pouring into our ears his evil sayings, is not heard.
Gregory the Dialogist · d. 604Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(in Hom. ut sup.) Now to show that this hatred towards relations proceeds not from inclination or passion, but from love, our Lord adds, yea, and his own life also. It is plain therefore that a man ought to hate his neighbour, by loving as himself him who hated him. For then we rightly hate our own soul when we indulge not its carnal desires, when we subdue its appetites, and wrestle against its pleasures. That which by being despised is brought to a better condition, is as it were loved by hatred.
Gregory the Dialogist · d. 604Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 25–35

Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; consider it will cost the mortifying of sin, even the most beloved lusts. The proudest and most daring sinner cannot stand against God, for who knows the power of his anger? It is our interest to seek peace with him, and we need not send to ask conditions of peace, they are offered to us, and are highly to our advantage. In some way a disciple of Christ will be put to the trial. May we seek to be disciples indeed, and be careful not to grow slack in our profession, or afraid of the cross; that we may be the good salt of the earth, to season those around us with the savour of Christ.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 14 →

Parallel passages

1

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 10:37

Cross-references

17

Topics

LifeMarriageSeekersSelf-DenialAffectionsStoicismDiscipleship

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.