Large crowds are following Jesus. What are they looking for? Another sensational miracle? Jesus turns round and says words that sound quite shocking: "If anyone comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and his own life, that person cannot be my follower/disciple." What are we to make of such an extraordinary statement? Jesus tells us to hate our family members - and love our enemies? It is quite obvious from the overall context of Luke's gospel that Jesus could not mean us literally to hate our parents, brothers and sisters - or ourselves. On the contrary we are called to have love and compassion for every single person, irrespective of who they are or what their relationship may be to us. What Jesus is saying is that those who are truly disciples of Jesus recognize that, as children of one God, we all belong to one family that we are all brothers and sisters to each other. We are therefore bound also to love our close family members - but not at the expense of others in greater need of our help. There may be times - and they can be painful experiences - when we would have to reject family members who want us to join them in behaviour that is harmful, unjust or unloving to others. To do so would not be really loving them.