Teachings That Seem Difficult to Understand

Difficult expressions attributed to Jesus — Family and spiritual priorities — “Let the dead bury their dead” — “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

What does it mean to “hate” father and mother?

1. In Luke, Jesus uses a phrase that, in a literal translation, speaks of “hating” father, mother, partner, children, and even one's own life in order to follow him. The same passage speaks of carrying one's own cross and not placing possessions above spiritual commitment. (Luke 14:25-27, 33)

2. In Matthew, the idea appears more clearly: anyone who places father, mother, son, or daughter above commitment to Jesus' teaching would not be ready to follow him. (Matthew 10:37)

3. Kardec observes that some Gospel phrases seem to contradict Jesus' message of love when read literally. He reminds us that the texts were recorded later and passed through different languages and translations, which requires attention to meaning and context.

The word translated as “hate” is the main example. Kardec rejects the idea that Jesus was commanding people to feel hatred toward their own family members and seeks the original meaning of the expression.

Biblical language itself uses words with different meanings depending on context. A literal translation can create an impression very different from the one intended in the original language.

Kardec cites other examples of translation difficulties to show that ancient words cannot be interpreted only by the meaning they have today.

Therefore, translating well does not mean simply replacing each word with another. Sometimes it is necessary to use an equivalent expression that preserves the original idea.

Kardec's conclusion is direct: we should not give the word “hate,” in this passage, the modern meaning of wishing harm or emotionally rejecting someone, because this would conflict with the rest of Jesus' teaching.

Family and spiritual priorities

4. Jesus states that whoever leaves house, relatives, or lands because of his mission will receive much more and will have eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)

5. When Peter says that the disciples left everything to follow him, Jesus answers that this commitment will not be without spiritual meaning. (Luke 18:28-30)

6. Another person says that they wish to follow Jesus but first need to organize matters at home.

Jesus uses the image of someone who puts a hand to the plow and keeps looking back. Kardec understands that the point is not to abandon an important moral commitment because of attachment or indecision — not to reject one's family. (Luke 9:61-62)

There are situations in which different responsibilities conflict and a difficult choice has to be made. Kardec's historical example is someone who temporarily leaves the family to fulfill a public duty.

Physical separation does not necessarily mean lack of love. Distance can coexist with respect, care, and affection. It is also important to remember that no one has a moral obligation to remain close to relatives who commit violence or abuse; setting boundaries may be necessary for protection.

Kardec interprets the phrases as strong language used to show the importance of spiritual choices. Some historical generalizations in the text about peoples and families reflect nineteenth-century concepts and do not need to be repeated as present-day judgments about cultures or societies.

The old text also presents ideas about “races” and intermarriage using concepts from its own era. These formulations are historically outdated and are not part of the moral principle we seek to make accessible in this edition.

In the Spiritist view, the deepest bonds would be bonds of affection between Spirits, capable of continuing despite distance and even death. This is a doctrinal belief presented as a source of comfort.

“Let the dead bury their dead”

7. When a man asks first to bury his father, Jesus replies: “Let the dead bury their dead; but you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-60)

How to understand this expression

8. Kardec states that the phrase should not be understood as contempt for grief, the body, or the duty of respect toward parents. He seeks in it a symbolic meaning connected with giving priority to spiritual life.

In the Spiritist Doctrine, the life of the Spirit continues after the death of the body. For this reason, physical death is presented as a passage, while remembrance and affection for the deceased person remain important.

In simple language, Kardec understands the phrase as a call to look beyond matter and also give attention to spiritual life. This does not eliminate farewell rituals, care during grief, or respect for the dead.

I did not come to bring peace, but a sword

9. Jesus says: “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the Earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword,” and speaks of divisions within families. (Matthew 10:34-36)

10. In Luke, a similar image appears: Jesus' message would cause divisions even among people in the same household. (Luke 12:49-53)

11. Read in isolation, these phrases seem to contradict the message of love and peace taught by Jesus. Kardec asks precisely how to understand them without turning Jesus into a defender of violence.

His answer is that the “sword” represents the conflicts that a new idea could cause among people, not an order to produce war or violence.

See also Chapter XIV, item 6

12. New ideas often encounter resistance, especially when they question customs, interests, or established structures of power.

This resistance can grow when people or institutions believe they will lose privileges or influence because of change.

The old text suggests that strong opposition would be a sign of the importance of an idea. This is not a sufficient criterion of truth: false ideas can also create great conflict. An idea needs to be evaluated by its content, evidence, coherence, and effects, not by the intensity of its opponents.

13. Kardec understands that Jesus' message challenged religious and social interests of his time and that this contributed to the persecution he suffered. This reading belongs to the historical and religious interpretation of the work.

Christianity continued to expand despite persecution. For Kardec, this shows the strength the message achieved throughout history.

14. The work describes the religious environment at the beginning of Christianity according to an interpretation common in the nineteenth century. The history of ancient religions is now studied in a more complex way. The central point of the argument is that institutions can resist change when personal interests are placed above the sincere search for truth.

Kardec connects ideas of Socrates and Plato with principles that he later associates with Christianity and Spiritism. This comparison is also developed in the Introduction to the work.

See Introduction, section on Socrates and Plato

15. Throughout history, Christians have interpreted many words attributed to Jesus in different ways. These differences gave rise to numerous traditions, churches, and theological currents.

Kardec especially criticizes moments when Christian groups forgot charity, fraternity, and love of neighbor and began persecuting people with different beliefs.

Religious wars, torture, and persecution show how a religion can be used to justify violence. The work rejects the idea that this violence comes from Jesus' teaching.

Jesus teaches love of neighbor and even of enemies. Therefore, killing, persecuting, or forcing someone to believe contradicts this principle, even when violence is practiced in the name of religion.

Kardec interprets these conflicts as consequences of human limitations, not as the purpose of the Christian message. This is his religious reading of history.

The conclusion is simple: intolerance and violence indicate that the teaching of love is not truly being understood or practiced.

16. Thus, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” is interpreted as a prediction of the conflicts that would arise around Jesus' message, not as permission to create them.

The image of “fire” represents the transformation of ideas and the struggle against errors and prejudices. In this reading, that struggle must be moral and intellectual, never violence against people.

Kardec connects the “Comforter” and the “Spirit of Truth” with future clarification of Jesus' message, an interpretation that forms part of the Spiritist Doctrine.

The expected result would be to replace religious conflicts with charity, understanding, and peace among people of different beliefs.

17. Kardec presents Spiritism as a continuation of this process of clarification and believes it would face resistance from interests, pride, selfishness, and fanaticism. This is the author's doctrinal position.

The work itself states that these struggles should be moral, not bloody. Differences of belief need to be addressed through dialogue, study, and freedom of conscience.

18. The conclusion is that Jesus would be describing conflicts that would arise as a consequence of human reaction to his message, not planning disorder. The “sword” is a metaphor for these divisions and not an order to use violence.