If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, such a person cannot be my disciple. This sounds like Jesus is calling for cruelty to family. But I think the hyperbole is deliberate.
Luke is pushing on what loyalty actually means. When your family's values directly conflict with Jesus's values, where does your primary loyalty lie? You can't serve two masters. If your family demands you participate in injustice, or exploit the vulnerable, or maintain power through force, you have to be willing to choose Jesus's way instead. That's not hate in the emotional sense. It's absolute prioritization. It's saying: I will not compromise my actual convictions even if it costs my family relationships. That's terrifying. And sometimes necessary. I've had to choose my commitment to justice over family comfort. That's what this is about.
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