Introduction
Who, or what, do you really hate in your life, and are you willing to let Jesus reorder your loves so radically that everything else becomes secondary to Him? The central teaching of Luke 14:25–33 is this: Jesus calls me to love Him with such supreme allegiance that every other love (even family and self) must submit to Him, and I must follow Him by carrying my cross, counting the cost of true discipleship.
Luke tells us that “great multitudes went with Him” (Luke 14:25). And Jesus, on His journey toward Jerusalem and the cross, turns toward the crowd and says something designed to thin it out, not grow it. He refuses to hide the fine print. He wants disciples, not merely admirers.
Main Points
Who, or what, do you really hate in your life, and are you willing to let Jesus reorder your loves so radically that everything else becomes secondary to Him? The central teaching of Luke 14:25–33 is this: Jesus calls me to love Him with such supreme allegiance that every other love (even family and self) must submit to Him, and I must follow Him by carrying my cross, counting the cost of true discipleship.
Luke tells us that “great multitudes went with Him” (Luke 14:25). And Jesus, on His journey toward Jerusalem and the cross, turns toward the crowd and says something designed to thin it out, not grow it. He refuses to hide the fine print. He wants disciples, not merely admirers.
A Crowd Is Not Discipleship
The scene begins with “great multitudes” following Jesus (Luke 14:25). That detail matters: whenever crowds gather, Jesus often brings the hardest, most clarifying teachings. He is not impressed with numbers. He is lovingly creating an off-ramp for anyone who wants the benefits of being near Him without the surrender of following Him.
I need to hear that: I can attend, listen, and even be interested, yet still not be a disciple. Jesus is kind enough to tell me upfront what following Him actually costs.
“Hate” As Total Allegiance To Christ
Jesus says:
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
He is not commanding sinful hostility toward family. The same Jesus teaches love of enemies; He does not contradict Himself. This is shocking, hyperbolic language meant to wake me up to one non-negotiable reality: Jesus must be my highest love.
Matthew’s Gospel helps interpret Luke’s phrasing:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me…” (Matt. 10:37)
So Jesus is saying: my devotion to Him must be so decisive that, in comparison, every other allegiance looks like “hate.” In other words, I must reject anything that competes with Christ for first place.
Every Devotion Trains Our “Hate”
Jesus’ teaching also fits how life already works. Whenever I commit to something supremely, I necessarily say “no” to other things. Even in everyday speech, we use “hate” to express comparative priority: I hate this often means I don’t want this competing with what I love most.
And that exposes me: if I claim Jesus is first, but my decisions consistently show someone or something else is first, then my “love” for Jesus is still theoretical. Discipleship becomes real when my priorities actually change, when rival loves lose their controlling power.
The Audacity Reveals Who Jesus Is
I need to feel the weight of how outrageous Jesus’ demand would be if He were merely a teacher. If a friend, leader, or pastor told me, “Unless you love me more than your family, you can’t be with me,” that would be manipulative, cult-like, and I should run.
So why can Jesus say it? Because Jesus is not recruiting fans; He is calling worshipers. The only one who can rightly demand absolute allegiance is God Himself. This saying forces a decision: either I treat Jesus as a helpful guide I can take or leave, or I bow the knee to Him as Lord.
Rival Gods Always Collapse Into Misery
Jesus’ hard word is also mercy. He is rescuing me from a spiritual law of gravity: whatever I love more than God becomes my god, and it will eventually disappoint, dominate, and deform me.
- If I make romance or marriage ultimate, I will eventually resent the person who can’t bear the weight of being my savior.
- If I make my children ultimate, I will crush them with expectations, or they will grow to resent the burden.
- If I make beauty ultimate, I will hate the mirror.
- If I make wealth ultimate, I will hate my bank account because it is never enough.
- If I make comfort ultimate, I will hate my “alone time” because it cannot fill my soul.
This is why the ordering of love is not a small issue. As the sermon pictured it with John Piper’s illustration: God’s glory belongs at the center of the “solar system” of my soul. When Christ is central, everything else finds its proper orbit. When something else becomes central, my life eventually spins into chaos, and I may end up hating the very life I tried to save.
Carrying The Cross Means Dying To Self
Jesus continues:
“Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
If I place Jesus at the center, I must also accept the path He walked: the way of the cross. That means I no longer treat God as someone who helps me achieve my plans. I reject self-governance. I stop living as the ruler of my own life.
“Come after Me” means the cross is not only something I admire in Jesus, it becomes the pattern of my discipleship: surrender, sacrifice, obedience, and trust.
Count The Cost And Forsake All
Then Jesus gives two illustrations, a tower-builder and a king going to war (Luke 14:28–32). The point is simple: wise people calculate before committing. Discipleship is not a vague spiritual hobby; it is a whole-life surrender.
And Jesus summarizes it with another uncompromising line:
“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
This does not mean every believer must own nothing. It means I must hold nothing as untouchable, no relationship, no comfort, no ambition, no possession, no identity claim. Everything becomes Christ’s.
Salvation is free, Jesus pays. But discipleship costs me my old life. And Jesus loves me enough to tell me that before I pretend I’m following.
Conclusion
Jesus turns to the multitude and lovingly narrows the gate: If I want to be His disciple, I must love Him more than anyone else, hate every rival allegiance in comparison, carry my cross, and forsake all competing ownership over my life. These are not hoops to earn God’s love; they are the only way to receive the life Jesus is offering, the abundant life where Christ is central and everything else is put in its proper place.
So I ask you directly: what relationship, fear, dream, or comfort has been functioning like your real center? Jesus is not trying to take joy from you. He is trying to save you from building your soul around something that cannot hold.
Lord Jesus, You are worthy of my highest love and full allegiance. Forgive me for the ways I have treated You as secondary, using You to support my goals instead of surrendering to Yours. Reorder my loves so that You are at the center of my life. Give me courage to carry my cross, to deny myself, and to come after You in obedience. Help me to release every rival devotion, family, comfort, success, approval, and even my own life, into Your hands. Make me not just part of the crowd, but truly Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
Jesus turns to the multitude and lovingly narrows the gate: If I want to be His disciple, I must love Him more than anyone else, hate every rival allegiance in comparison, carry my cross, and forsake all competing ownership over my life. These are not hoops to earn God’s love; they are the only way to receive the life Jesus is offering, the abundant life where Christ is central and everything else is put in its proper place.
So I ask you directly: what relationship, fear, dream, or comfort has been functioning like your real center? Jesus is not trying to take joy from you. He is trying to save you from building your soul around something that cannot hold.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are worthy of my highest love and full allegiance. Forgive me for the ways I have treated You as secondary, using You to support my goals instead of surrendering to Yours. Reorder my loves so that You are at the center of my life. Give me courage to carry my cross, to deny myself, and to come after You in obedience. Help me to release every rival devotion, family, comfort, success, approval, and even my own life, into Your hands. Make me not just part of the crowd, but truly Your disciple. Amen.