How much should we love Jesus compared to our family?
Our love for the Lord Jesus must be so great that, by comparison, our love for family seems almost like hatred. Scripture's use of 'hate' here is comparative, not literal; Jesus never expected anyone to hate their parents, but He called for supreme devotion to Himself above all family ties.
Les explains that the word 'hated' in Romans 9:13 and in Jesus' teaching is not hate as we think of hating someone enough to practically do them harm. It is a comparative term. When Jesus said, 'Except you hate your father and your mother, you cannot be my disciple,' He never expected any human being to hate their parents. Instead, unless we have such a love for the Lord Jesus that by comparison our love for family is almost like a hatred, we cannot be His disciple. Les applies the same comparative sense to God's statement, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.' It was not that God had an intrinsic hatred for Esau, but His love for Jacob was beyond comprehension, so it was as if Esau was hated. Les also mentions reading Spurgeon, the great English preacher in London in the 1800s.