Here Are Some Bible Verses That I Dislike

Thomas Jefferson, the 3^rd president of the United States, was a fascinating man. He had quite a few ideas as to what the new nation should become; having been there since the start (he was the man who wrote the declaration of independence, after all.) He’d be very disappointed to see that none really came to fruition. Jefferson envisioned a nation of small, self-sufficient farmers, while his rival Alexander Hamilton pushed towards industrialization. With less then 3% of the modern US working population affiliated with agriculture, it really isn’t hard to see whose idea won out.

Jefferson also had some revolutionary ideas about religion that contrasted the conservative Hamilton. Hamilton’s ideas won out (today’s America is really a result of many of the things Hamilton did, but the average American knows little about him besides that he’s on the $10 bill.) But this isn't a history lesson, it's a lesson about Jefferson and his Bible.

Thomas Jefferson had a Bible. He also had a pair of scissors. He had a habit of using the two at the same time. You see, Jefferson was a Deist, and Deists believe that God created the universe, and then left it alone. This doesn’t match up with many of the things in the Bible, and so when Jefferson found something in his Bible that he didn’t like, he cut it out.

He removed anything remotely supernatural, including all hints of Jesus’ divinity, which he considered an invention of the disciples. He went so far as to publish an excerpt from his cut and paste project, which he called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.

I read a good section of it, which you can find here if you’re interested: The Jefferson Gospels. This Jesus is a lot more like Buddha, spouting off wise sayings but never healing anybody. Probably the biggest and most depressing change can be found in its conclusion, which reads “Now, in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus. And rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” Thus ends the gospel according to Jefferson.

I try to read my Bible without scissors. But sometimes, like Jefferson, I feel like clipping out a part or two. I’m not a deist, so my objections aren’t as blatant, but they are there.

One verse that irritates me is Luke 14:26:

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”

Jesus seems to be condemning family here. And that really chafes my hide. I had hoped that my knowledge of Biblical Greek could produce an alternative translation which suited my personal beliefs better, but to no avail. The Greek word “μισει” (missei) can only be rendered as “hate” or “abhor” or “despise” or other such synonyms. So I’m stuck with it.

However, the reason I dislike that verse is probably because it speaks directly to me. It’s a lot easier to read verses about not murdering or stealing or adultering because I have no strong desire to participate in those offenses. But being commanded to hate my family, present and future, is something else entirely. Also, it seems to contradict verses like Ephesians 5:25 (which, I can assure you, is in no danger of being cut out of my Bible.)

Jesus can’t be speaking literally, because it would go against many of his core teachings. I somehow doubt he put “abolishing the familial structure” in his mission statement.

So we look deeper. In context, it seems to me that Jesus is saying that he must be the number one priority in our lives. We can’t allow any other person or persons, or ourselves, to surpass him, even if that person is our spouse, parent or child.

Even knowing what it means, it’s still hard for me to apply. I value family very highly, both my current one and my future one. I like to think I value God more, but in reality sometimes it is hard to determine where my loyalties lie. Thankfully, my quest to honor my parents and find a godly wife hasn’t been at odds with my quest to further God’s cause. If placed in a situation where I had to choose between the two, well…I think I’ll try to avoid such hypothetical situations.

So while I wrestle with my own priorities, ask yourself if anything in your life surpasses God, and remember that we need to take the Bible as a whole. We can’t choose the parts that we like and forget the rest.

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 5:18 NKJV