我們都知道，在中國孝道是社會的核心。在《聖經》里，孝道也非常重要。聖經·舊約·出埃及記…教導古代以色列人：“要孝敬父母…”（出埃及記20:12）。違背此誡命的後果也很可怕。譬如，“打父母的，必要把他治死… …咒罵父母的，必要把他治死”（出埃及記21:15, 17）。
在《聖經·新約》馬可福音，耶穌因為一些猶太教徒不孝敬父母，不供養他們，所以耶穌就責備了他們。（請參看馬可福音7:8-13）。在以弗所書，神提醒基督徒：“你們做兒女的，要在主里聽從父母，這是理所當然的。‘要孝敬父母…’”（以弗所書6:1-2）。
以上的經文讓我們明白耶穌所說的另外一句話。在《新約》的路加福音第十四章，耶穌描述他的門徒：“人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過愛自己的父母、妻子、兒女、弟兄、姐妹和自己的性命，就不能做我的門徒。凡不背着自己十字架跟從我的，也不能做我的門徒”（26-27節）。此翻譯很好；此翻譯把原文的意思翻出來。那意思是基督徒要愛耶穌勝過愛別的——物和人。甚至於要愛耶穌勝過愛孩子、父母、房屋等。但是，希臘原文有“恨”字在內。（這是希伯來人的用語和說法——用的字是“恨”，但意思是“愛少”。）所以，中國標準譯本把這句話翻譯為“如果有人到我這裡來，而不恨自己的父親、母親、妻子、兒女、兄弟、姐妹，甚至自己的生命，他就不能做我的門徒。凡是不背着自己的十字架來跟從我的，也不能做我的門徒”。除此翻譯本以外，也有一些英語翻譯本在翻譯這句話時，是用 hate （恨）這個字。（我認為“恨”這個翻譯不好！它把不必要的絆腳石擺在讀者的眼前。）字是“恨”，但是意思是“愛少”的意思，所以翻譯成中文就是“若不愛我勝過愛自己的父母、妻子、兒女”等。中國傳統的和合本翻譯的很好：“人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過愛自己的父母、妻子、兒女、弟兄、姐妹和自己的性命，就不能做我的門徒”（路加福音14:26）。
從此可知，耶穌的意思並不是說我們要恨父母。不！這是誇大之詞 hyperbole 。耶穌強調他的門徒要如何地愛他，所以他用這句話讓他們吃驚的注意他所說的。
您和我有時候也用誇大之詞。譬如，朋友問你：“你熱不熱？”你回答：“我熱死了！”你真的熱到那個程度嗎？——你會死嗎？
在別的場合，耶穌也使用誇大詞形容他的意思。在強調信心的作用，他曾經說“是因你們的信心小。我實在告訴你們：你們若有信心像一粒芥菜種，就是對這座山說：‘你從這邊挪到那邊！’，它也必挪去；並且你們沒有一件不能做的事了”（馬太福音17:20）。耶穌把事情誇大，使得聽者吃驚，而因此就好好地思考耶穌所說的。
在今天我們所說的那句話，也是一樣。耶穌不要我們恨我們的父母，相反 耶穌要我們愛父母，尊敬父母，供養父母。但是耶穌強調我們要愛他更多。基督徒要把耶穌擺在我們生命之上，擺在我們單位之上，擺在我們家人之上。在基督徒看來，耶穌比一切更加重要。就如有一首詩歌所說的，“耶穌比全世界更寶”。
你愛耶穌嗎？
Hate Our Parents?
Did Jesus say that we should hate our parents? Filial piety is the nucleus of Chinese society. It is also very important in the Bible, as we see in Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother…” The result of breaking this command was “He who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death” (Exodus 21:15, 17). In the New Testament, Jesus reprimanded people who did not take care for their elderly parents; see Mark 7:8-13. In Ephesians 6:1-2, Christians are reminded “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’…”
The preceding Scriptures help us understand something else that Jesus said: “If anyone comes to me and does not love me more than he loves his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. Also anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27 [E. Short’s translation of the Chinese Union Bible]). This is a good translation of the original statement because it brings out the meaning of the Greek. Some other translations, whether Chinese or English, use the word “hate” because the original Greek says “hate”—“unless one hates his father…” However, the meaning of the word “hate” in this verse follows the Hebrew usage and it means to “love less.” Thus in this case, the literal translation of “hate” becomes an unnecessary stumbling stone; the word is “hate” but the meaning is “love less,” so the traditional Chinese Bible translation of “If one… does not love me more than…” is a correct translation.
So, No! Jesus does not want us to hate our parents! Jesus’ statement is an example of hyperbole. To emphasize how he expects his disciples to love him, Jesus made an astonishing statement. We do the same thing sometimes, do we not? “I’m about to burn up!” Really???
There are other examples of Jesus using hyperbole, such as in Matthew 17:20: “…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Jesus used hyperbole to cause people to pay attention and to think deeply about what he was teaching.
Jesus does not want us to hate our parents; he wants us to love, honor and care for our parents. But Jesus emphasized that he expects us to love him even more. Christians should put Jesus first in life; his place is higher than our own lives, more important than where we work, a higher priority than our families. As Christians sometimes sing, “Jesus is more precious than all the earth.” Do you love Jesus?