Name: Don Jacob Class: World Religion 208 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 2: LUKE 14: 25-35 Outline of Luke 14:25-35 The Setting of the passage (v25) Large crowds (v25a) The difficulty of being a Disciple (v25b-27) Hating one’s life and Family (v25b -26) Carrying the cross and walking (v27) The choice of Discipleship (v28-32) Constructing a tower (v28-30) Estimating the outcome of war possibilities (v31-32) The distinct nature of Disciples (v33-35) Give up everything (v33) Losing salinity in soil (v34-35) The Setting The exact location to where Jesus was is not given in the passages. In verse 25, the focus is on large crowd listening to Jesus. The people probably were so mesmerized with Jesus teachings and miracles that they didn’t give a thought about where they were going but instead follow the voice of Jesus. Difficulty in Discipleship Jesus stuns the crowds in the next few verses with a message of “hate”. Unless one leaves his father, mother and other close relatives, he cannot be a disciple. The word “hate” here is not implied with the same meaning as hate the word we often use. It is used with the meaning of “to be loved less than another”. A similarity in the bible of the word hate can be seen when God gave the Israelites the law, which said “You shall not worship them or serve them [other gods]; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:5). To worship other Gods would be to love God less, which is to hate God. So what does it mean to hate your close relatives and follow Jesus? I think what Jesus is trying to say is that no earthly bounds can hold together more than what we should be in allegiance with Jesus with. I guess the love Jesus has for us is far greater than the love of the parents for his/her own son/daughter. And similarly he expects us to have a far greater love for him in return. The top priority according to Jesus should be him though it may be painful and hurtful l....