Hate Your Family, Your Life, and Carry Your Cross In The First Century Context(Luke 9:23-34; 14:25-37; 21:12; John 16:1-4; Matthew 10:37; Revelation 2:8-13)

Sometimes the words of Jesus can be difficult to understand.

But when put into their first-century context, his words become clearer.

Jesus told first-century Israel that those who did not hate their family and their life as well as carry their cross could not be his disciple.

Jesus understood what was facing those in Israel in the first-century who believed he was the Messiah/Christ.

Those in first-century Israel who did not believe Jesus was the Christ would persecute and kill those in Israel who did believe.

Even in the synagogues of Israel and the Roman Empire, unbelieving Israel would kill believing Israel.

Jesus consistently warned believing Israel about what awaited them as his followers - persecution and death by the hands of unbelieving Israel.

Several times Jesus warned believing Israel that family members would betray family members to their deaths...

...meaning unbelieving family members in Israel would report believing family members to the Jewish leaders.

This betrayal of family members would result in the deaths of those who believed.

With this background, we can more clearly understand the words of Jesus about hating their family and their life as well as carrying their cross.

Hating family members was a Jewish idiom, meaning commitment to follow Jesus would look like hate for family when compared to commitment to Jesus.

In the first-century, believers would die rather than deny Jesus.

The death that awaited first century believers meant those who believed in Jesus would carry their cross daily because death was a real possibility each day.

At any moment, their lives could be taken from them, as it was Stephen in Acts 6-7 when the unbelieving Jewish leaders had him stoned to death.

Losing their lives because of belief in Jesus would look like hatred for their lives.

Sadly, some churches and ministries take the words of Jesus out of their first-century context and tell believers they are not being a disciple of Jesus if they do not participate in the discipleship program in their church or ministry.

Believers are told they are putting their families and their lives above Jesus by not "committing to discipleship" in their church or ministry.

Believers are told they need to take up their cross and follow Jesus by being "committed to discipleship."

The pressure to persuade believers to "commit to discipleship" arises from a misuse of the words of Jesus to his first-century audience who was facing death in Israel and in synagogues throughout the Roman Empire.

This taken from my book, Toxic Discipleship. CLICK HERE