No Divided Loyalties

25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:25-27 NLT)

Jesus is not telling us to hate our family members, other people or ourselves. He is telling us that He has to have the top place in our lives. We cannot have divided loyalties. We can't follow Jesus and walk a different path with a family member who would lead us away from the Lord. We can live in a way that leads our family members and friends to see Christ in us. Jesus tells us to love one another, even our enemies. Our love for others grows out of God's love for us. 

(Jesus spoke Hebrew or Aramaic. There is no comparative in this language. Instead of saying something is holy, holier or holiest, the Hebrew language says, God is Holy, Holy, Holy. The NLT picks up this difference by saying "by comparison." There should be a noticeable difference between our love for God and for others people. God first, then people. The other way does not work.