HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER?

CHRIST WAS NOT A MODERN CARPENTER

SKILLED IN THE USE OF AUTOMATED TOOLS

BUT A JEWISH JACK OF ALL TRADES

WHO SPECIALIZED IN WOOD

CHRIST WAS NOT A CONTEMPORARY

ENGLISH SPEAKING WORKMAN

BUT A FIRST CENTURY SEMITE

WHO THOUGHT SEMITIC

WHO EXPRESS HIMSELF SEMITIC

SO WHEN MOST ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

OF LUKE 14:26

HAVE CHRIST SAY

UNLESS YOU HATE YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER

YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME

WHAT IMAGES OF STERNNESS FOLLOW

BUT A BETTER TRANSLATION

EXPRESSED IN JEWISH THOUGHT

IS THAT HATE EQUALS

LOVE LESS

GOD CREATED THE WORLD

ALL THAT’S IN IT

SAID

THAT’S GOOD

WHAT IMAGE OF GOD

PROMPTS US TO TRANSLATE THAT WORD

AS HATE

THE JEW PRAISES GOD FOR EXISTING

FOR FILLING ALL THE LONELY PLACES

IN HIS LIFE

HOW COULD HE HATE WHAT GOD HAS MADE

WHEN HE HIMSELF SAID

HONOR YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER

IN A SIMILAR SITUATION

ABOUT FOODS

GOD SAYS

DO NOT CALL ANYTHING IMPURE

THAT GOD HAS MADE CLEAN

WE ARE ALL GOD’S CREATION

BORN CLEAN

WE STRIVE TO LEARN TO LOVE

FIRST OURSELVES

THEN THOSE CLOSEST TO US

OUR MOTHER AND FATHER

OUR SIBLINGS

THE REST OF THE FAMILY

THE PERSONS WE MEET

WHO HAVE CHRIST WITHIN

NOWHERE IS HATE PERMITTED

EVEN TO OUR MOST VIOLENT ENEMY

A HARD SAYING

BUT NO HARDER

THAN WHAT WE WERE WILLING TO BELIEVE

HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER

FRANK A VOLLMER