The Gospel for today begins with these words of Jesus:

Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

Is that what it means to be a Christian? That we should hate the members of our own family? We must make allowances here not only for the circumstances, but also for the fact that Eastern language is sharp and vivid and dramatic. In Matthew’s Gospel it is stated this way:

Jesus said, "He that loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

Still and all, it’s a pretty stringent requirement. Honestly now, if you were to make a…