Jesus Christ, the Son of God, spoke words of life, truth, and grace. Yet, His teachings were not always comfortable or easily digestible. Many of His pronouncements challenged the conventional wisdom of His day and continue to provoke thought and require deep spiritual reflection even now. These are not contradictions or errors, but rather profound truths that demand a radical reorientation of our priorities and affections. They are "hard sayings" not because they are impossible, but because they call us to a level of discipleship that transcends worldly logic and human sentiment. Understanding these challenging passages is crucial for a complete and robust faith, revealing the depth of commitment Christ demands from His followers.
1. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)
This saying is undoubtedly jarring to modern sensibilities, especially in cultures that highly value family bonds. The word "hate" here seems to directly contradict other biblical commands to honor parents and love one's neighbor. However, the key to understanding this passage lies in recognizing the hyperbolic language often employed by Jesus to emphasize a point of supreme importance. In Semitic languages, "to hate" in this context often means "to love less by comparison" or "to choose against."
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Jesus is not advocating for literal animosity towards one's family. Instead, He is establishing the absolute supremacy of one's allegiance to Him. His call to discipleship demands an unparalleled devotion that must supersede all other earthly relationships, no matter how cherished. Our love for Christ must be so intense and exclusive that, by comparison, our love for even our closest family members appears as "hate." This is a test of priorities: who holds the ultimate authority in our lives? Is it family tradition, societal expectation, or the Lord Jesus Christ?
The saying extends even to "his own life also," signifying that self-preservation and personal ambition must also yield to the demands of following Christ. True discipleship requires a willingness to forsake all, including one's very existence, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. It is a call to radical self-denial and singular devotion.
2. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." (John 6:53)
This statement caused such offense and confusion among Jesus' listeners that many disciples turned away from Him (John 6:66). To a Jewish audience, the consumption of blood was strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law (Leviticus 17:10-14), and the idea of eating human flesh was abhorrent. Jesus was speaking metaphorically, but the profundity of His words was lost on those who insisted on a literal interpretation.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
In the context of John 6, Jesus had just fed the five thousand and declared Himself to be the "bread of life." He was emphasizing that just as physical bread sustains physical life, He alone is the source of spiritual and eternal life. To "eat His flesh and drink His blood" means to fully appropriate His person and His atoning work through faith. It is a spiritual consumption, not a physical one.
His flesh represents His humanity, His sacrifice on the cross, and His body broken for us. His blood represents the New Covenant, the shedding of His life for the remission of sins. To partake of these means to believe wholeheartedly in His substitutionary death and resurrection, to receive Him as Lord and Savior, and to allow His life to nourish and transform us. It is an act of deep, personal communion and complete reliance on Him for salvation and spiritual sustenance. Without this spiritual reception of Christ, there is no eternal life.
3. "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29)
Similar to the "hate" saying, this instruction is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is not advocating for self-mutilation. If literal interpretation were intended, we would all be blind and limbless, and even then, sin originates in the heart, not merely in the physical members. This radical imagery underscores the extreme seriousness of sin and the radical measures required to deal with it.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
The "eye" and "hand" represent the most valuable and active parts of our bodies, often used for committing sin (e.g., lustful glances, dishonest actions). Jesus is demanding a ruthless approach to anything, no matter how precious or seemingly essential, that causes us to stumble into sin and jeopardize our eternal salvation. The implication is that we must be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes – relationships, habits, aspirations, possessions – that hinder our walk with God and lead us towards spiritual destruction. The consequence of not doing so is eternal damnation, making any earthly sacrifice pale in comparison. This is a call to vigilant self-examination and decisive action against sin in our lives.
4. "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21)
This instruction was given to the rich young ruler who claimed to have kept all the commandments but lacked one thing. While this command is often generalized, it's crucial to understand it in its specific context, directed at an individual whose wealth was clearly an idol, preventing him from full devotion to God.
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Jesus was not instituting a universal command for all believers to liquidate all assets. Many faithful individuals in the Bible, like Abraham, were wealthy. However, for this particular young man, his great possessions were his stumbling block. He loved his wealth more than he loved God, and it prevented him from truly following Christ. Jesus' command exposed the true state of his heart.
The "hard saying" here is not merely about money, but about idolatry and ultimate allegiance. It reveals that whatever we cling to more than God – be it wealth, status, comfort, or security – becomes an impediment to genuine discipleship. For some, it might be wealth; for others, it might be pride, reputation, or even family. The principle is that we must be willing to surrender anything and everything that comes between us and complete surrender to Christ. The promise is that such sacrifice, when motivated by faith, yields "treasure in heaven," far surpassing any earthly gain.
5. "Jesus said unto him, Follow me: and let the dead bury their dead." (Luke 9:60)
This saying is hard because it appears to dismiss a sacred duty in Jewish culture: burying one's parents. The man's request to first go and bury his father was a seemingly reasonable and pious one. Yet, Jesus' response was sharp and uncompromising.
Jesus said unto him, Follow me: and let the dead bury their dead.
The key to understanding this lies in the two uses of "dead." The first "dead" refers to those who are spiritually dead – those who are not followers of Christ, who are still in their sins. The second "dead" refers to the physically deceased. Jesus is making a stark distinction between the urgent, eternal priority of following Him and the temporal, earthly duties that, while important, can become excuses for delaying spiritual commitment.
Jesus was not forbidding proper burial. Rather, He was emphasizing that the call to discipleship is immediate and paramount. There is no time for delay or for putting earthly obligations before the divine command to follow Him. The spiritually dead can attend to the physically dead; the spiritually alive are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God. This saying highlights the radical urgency of the Gospel and the supreme importance of prioritizing the Kingdom of God above all else, even deeply ingrained cultural and familial obligations.
These five "hard sayings" of Jesus, when rightly understood through the lens of scripture and spiritual discernment, are not meant to confuse or alienate. Instead, they serve as powerful calls to radical discipleship. They challenge us to examine our hearts, our loyalties, and our willingness to surrender everything to Christ. They reveal that true faith is not a casual assent but a profound reorientation of our entire being.
From prioritizing Christ above all earthly relationships and possessions, to ruthlessly confronting sin in our lives, to fully appropriating His atoning work, and to embracing the immediate urgency of His call – Jesus demands an all-encompassing commitment. These are not burdens, but pathways to true life, demonstrating that those who lose their lives for His sake will truly find them (Matthew 10:39). By embracing the difficulty, we find the profound truth and abundant life that only Christ can offer.