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 Luke 14:25-26 – And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto  them,  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. 
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At this time in Jesus’ ministry, there were multitudes of people who followed Jesus. The English language doesn’t bring this out, but in the Greek language, this is an imperfect tense. This means that at this time, the great multitudes began to repeatedly and continuously follow Jesus. 
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Perhaps it was because of His miracles or because He fed them, we don’t know the exact reason,  but  great  multitudes  were  following  Him.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Jesus  turned  and  deliberately said something which appears to have caused many people to turn and follow Him no more.
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“If  any  man  come  to  Me  [that  means  wants  to  go  with  me,  wants  to  accompany  me,  wants to follow me, this is the requirement], 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  discipleâ€  ( Luke  14:26, brackets mine ). 
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As I looked at that scripture, I thought, Lord, you can’t mean that. What does that word “hateâ€ mean? It probably means to love less or something like that. As I began to study, however, I discovered that the word literally means “hate.â€
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 Jesus  used  the  strongest  possible  word  to  emphasize  a  point.  He  said  unless  you  hate  your father, your mother, your sister, your brother, even your own life, you can’t be His disciple. 
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I want to ask you something: What is the closest relationship you will ever have on this earth? It’s your mother and father or your spouse and children. 
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What happens if your wife turns against you and divorces you, or your mother and father die? Who will stick with you then? It will be your brothers and your sisters. 
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Jesus said, unless you hate them, you can’t be His disciple. What is He saying?Jesus  is  talking  about  the  closest  relationships  we  will  ever  have.  He  is  asking  for  a  commitment from you, a commitment in which He is preeminent. 
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He wants to be number one in your life. He is going to compare His relationship with you to the closest relationships you have on earth. “Hateâ€ is a metaphor, a word of comparison, and Jesus is saying, 
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“My relationship with you is so important that I want it to be above all earthly things.â€ 
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There is one person you love more than your wife, your children, your mother, your father, or your sisters and brothers. 
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Do you know who that is? 
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It’s not God . . . it’s you. You love yourself more than you love your closest relationships.
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Why do marriages break up? Why do people divorce? Because they love themselves more than they love their spouse. “You’re not doing it like I want you to, so I’m getting rid of you.â€
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Jesus said there is one relationship I want to be number one above—it’s your own selfish life. This is true discipleship. He is not talking about a no-cost discipleship. He’s asking us to follow Him. He’s asking to be number one in our lives.
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Scriptures: Luke 9:57-62 Luke 8:13-14 Ezekiel 16:8 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 James 4:4 Romans 1:25 John 2:23-25  Luke 14:28-30 
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Questions:
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1. Read Luke 9:57-62 . What does this passage teach about the level of commitment toward following Christ?<p>
2. Read Luke 8:13-14 . Why do some people seem to fall away, or turn away, from the Christian faith?<p>
3. Read Ezekiel 16:8 . God uses the illustration of marriage to describe a relationship with His people. Whose possession does one become in this relationship?<p>
4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19 . Who do you belong to?<p>
5. Read 1 Corinthians 6:20 . Who does your body and your spirit belong to?<p>
6. Read James 4:4 . Can you commit spiritual adultery against God?<p>
7. What would constitute spiritual adultery in God’s eyes? See Romans 1:25 .<p>
8. Read John 2:23-25 . What can we learn about commitment and faith from these verses?<p>
9. Read Luke 14:28-30 . Have you counted the cost to follow Jesus? Do you want to follow Him?
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Answers:
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1. Read Luke 9:57-62 . What does this passage teach about the level of commitment toward following Christ?<br>
Absolute surrender<p>
2. Read Luke 8:13-14 . Why do some people seem to fall away, or turn away, from the Christian faith?<br>
They have never put down a root system in the Word of God. The cares, riches, and pleasures of this life take them away<p>
3. Read Ezekiel 16:8 . God uses the illustration of marriage to describe a relationship with His people. Whose possession does one become in this relationship? <br>
God’s<p>
4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19 . Who do you belong to? <br>
God<p>
5. Read 1 Corinthians 6:20 . Who does your body and your spirit belong to? <br>
God <p>
6. Read James 4:4 . Can you commit spiritual adultery against God? <br>
Yes<p>
7. What would constitute spiritual adultery in God’s eyes?A heart that is turned away from Him to idols (things that you have made more important that God)<br>
See Romans 1:25 .<p>
8. Read John 2:23-25 . What can we learn about commitment and faith from these verses?<br>
That Jesus wants all of our hearts (a total commitment)<p>
9. Read Luke 14:28-30 . Have you counted the cost to follow Jesus?
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Do you want to follow Him?
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