"Jesus said, ‘Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot be my disciple, and whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters and carry his cross as I do will not be worthy of me.’”
- Gospel of Thomas, Logion 55
To “hate”your father and mother is to be free of their influence
“his father and his mother” is really the society. Our father and mother are our main source of conditioning, through them we are indoctrinated into the society
If they are products of the society only and are not sovereign free beings, then they will only be able to indoctrinate and condition you into the masses.
You must be will to leave your father and mother and your brothers and sisters, you must leave all those old ties to family and tradition and respectability and the expected way of life behind to follow The Way.
Not a call to literal hatred or violence but as a radical demand to sever attachment to family when it obstructs spiritual enlightenment and the path to Truth. It is a transcending biological bonds and prioritizing one's divine calling over familial expectations.
The metaphorical “killing” of one’s parents symbolizes the death of old conditioning, cultural programming, or attachments that prevent spiritual transformation.
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’"
- Matthew 10:34-37
The sword that he brings is the sword of discrimination. The sword that cuts the false from the true.
“a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’" - the enemy always comes from within his own household, in his own mind, in his own family and friends…
The divisive nature of spiritual truth—it disrupts established familial and societal structures. Jesus' radical message called for total commitment, which often led to conflict with tradition-bound families.
"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
“me” is Truth, the Way the Truth and the Life, is Christ…
You must love and desire Truth above all else. If you cling to your special relationships of family you will miss.
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."
- Luke 14:26
Rather than “hate”, the meaning is more like “relinquish”
The word translated as hate (μισέω, miseó in Greek) can mean to love less in a comparative sense.
Allegiance to following the path of Truth, to the Kingdom of God must surpass all earthly ties.
"Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’"
- Matthew 8:21-22
“Let the dead bury their own dead” - you cannot delay or say I will do it after I do this one thing. You have to follow him NOW.
You can’t worry exclusively about your familial duty or it will be an excuse to not to your true duty….
"Let the dead bury their own dead" suggests that those attached to the mundane world are spiritually "dead"—while true life is in discipleship and a life dedicated to awakening.
"Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
- Matthew 12:48-50
Your true family is those who are joining with you in living The Way, The Life, & The Truth.
The biological blood family is not necessarily your true soul family and tribe you should be living with…
"Whoever does not hate their father and mother as I do cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not love their father and mother as I do cannot be my disciple. For my mother gave birth to my body, but my true Mother gave me life."
- Gospel of Thomas (Logion 101)
The human mother and father were the gateway for the body to come into this world. But we have a Heavenly Father and Universal Mother that is our true parentage.
"Blessed is the man who has renounced this world, for he shall be numbered among the ones who have life eternal."
- The Acts of Thomas (Syriac Christian Text)
You can’t keep your hold on this world and attain the goal. You have to let go, renounce, relinquish all ties and dependancies on this world.
"If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him"
- Attributed to the ninth-century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan
Anything that becomes an image and an obstacle to the path must be “killed”, must be let go, must be relinquished,…