I'm reading a book called Jewish Insights Into Scripture and they have an entry about hate that I found very interesting - what do you think?
There are certain texts in the Bible that make modern Christ-followers cringe. Among the most difficult of these is the statement of Jesus (Yeshua) about the need to hate one’s own father and mother in order to be His true disciple (Luke 14:26). The key to resolving this difficulty lies hidden in the ancient meaning of the Hebrew word שָׂנֵא ( sane ), translated as “hate.”
We read that God loved Jacob but “hated” Esau (Mal. 1:3). However, we can also see that in reality God blessed Esau greatly (Gen. 33:9), even warning the Israelites not to attack his descendants lest they risk the withdrawal of His protection from them (Deut. 2:4-6). In another place, Jacob is said to have “hated” his first wife Leah. Upon closer reading, however, it becomes clear that Jacob simply loved Rachel more than Leah (Gen. 29:30-31).
Furthermore, according to the Torah the God of Israel permits divorce based upon certain stringently defined circumstances that would make a marital relationship impossible to continue (Deut. 24:1-4). When our translation indicates that God “hates” divorce (Mal. 2:16), here too we must interpret it according to its original meaning in the ancient context. Israel’s God regarded divorce and remarriage as “second-best” – not the ideal way to conduct human relationships.
All of these examples show that the idea of “hating” in Biblical Hebrew could include the notion of “loving less” or “preferring someone/something else.”
So, then, did Jesus call upon people to stop honoring their parents? Most definitely not! The Messiah did, however, call His followers to a life of radical discipleship and overwhelming love for Him, such that even their very great love for their own parents would seem pale and weak by comparison.
Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, E. (n.d.). Jewish Insights Into Scripture.
“Unless You Hate Your Father and Mother…”
There are certain texts in the Bible that make modern Christ-followers cringe. Among the most difficult of these is the statement of Jesus (Yeshua) about the need to hate one’s own father and mother in order to be His true disciple (Luke 14:26). The key to resolving this difficulty lies hidden in the ancient meaning of the Hebrew word שָׂנֵא ( sane ), translated as “hate.”
We read that God loved Jacob but “hated” Esau (Mal. 1:3). However, we can also see that in reality God blessed Esau greatly (Gen. 33:9), even warning the Israelites not to attack his descendants lest they risk the withdrawal of His protection from them (Deut. 2:4-6). In another place, Jacob is said to have “hated” his first wife Leah. Upon closer reading, however, it becomes clear that Jacob simply loved Rachel more than Leah (Gen. 29:30-31).
Furthermore, according to the Torah the God of Israel permits divorce based upon certain stringently defined circumstances that would make a marital relationship impossible to continue (Deut. 24:1-4). When our translation indicates that God “hates” divorce (Mal. 2:16), here too we must interpret it according to its original meaning in the ancient context. Israel’s God regarded divorce and remarriage as “second-best” – not the ideal way to conduct human relationships.
All of these examples show that the idea of “hating” in Biblical Hebrew could include the notion of “loving less” or “preferring someone/something else.”
So, then, did Jesus call upon people to stop honoring their parents? Most definitely not! The Messiah did, however, call His followers to a life of radical discipleship and overwhelming love for Him, such that even their very great love for their own parents would seem pale and weak by comparison.
Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, E. (n.d.). Jewish Insights Into Scripture.