Jesus did not use hyperboles

Luke 14:26
26
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.

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Jesus does not exaggerate. Jesus does not use hyperbole. Jesus died for the sins of mankind. There is no more sincere a person who lived.

Catholics have a belief that Jesus could not have meant what he said, because the honor his mother. So they suggest that he exaggerated. This is a complete misconception, that over generations has led that religion further from the Truth.

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Luke 12:49-53

49

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

50

But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!

51

Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

52

From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.

53

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

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Jesus had a baptism to undergo. Although we know for a fact he did not mean a water baptism lile the one he already had recieved from John. And we know it was not a Spirit baptism because he had already recieved thw Holy Spirit upon himself, as it was witnessed by others who heard the voice of the Father and saw the form of the dove. So what baptism did he have to undergo? He was going to experience death. Death was unknown to he and the Father. And he was under pressure to fulfill the Law and prophesy, before death encroched, before the enemy came to claim him. This was not a person who used hyperboles, not an individual who exaggerated.

Our physical life is temporary. Our physical family is secondary to our spiritual family. In the Law, the hebrews were told to honor their father and their mother. This is because ceremony and rituals were ingrained in their entire lives. Children learned the way of righteousness in the home, and celebrated and worshipped in the temple. But Jesus fulfilled the Law, as his Father was in Heaven. His family is spiritual, and he is collecting them for eternity.

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Matthew 12:47-

47

Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

48

He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?

49

Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers

50

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother

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Jesus was very specific. He did not exaggerate. He wanted to make a clear point that they did not know him, that they had not been where he had come from, that they did not know the Father, that his family was spiritual. Jesus was very sincere.

So to return to the passage: 

Luke 14:26
26
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple

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The hate he is being very sincere about is, the more involved we become in what is put in front of us, the further we are from being witness to the unseen qualities of God. The greeks had numerous definitions for love. But as Christians we understand there is the only love when it comes through us by way of the kingdom, as a part of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise what is physical love is self defined. So in terms of what Jesus meant by hating our physical family, is our only bond with them is a perishing bond, meaningless, and unholy. So in the context of his disciples, they had to comprehend this, and recognize instead the spiritual value that comes from being witness to the will of God.

He did not even wish to recognize his physical family, because he was the son of God, and he knew they did not honor this, because they did not come from where he came from. They loved him in ways that emotion recognize. They likely had concern for him, were upset and possibly even angry with him. He was doing his Father's will, his path was a cup of wrath, for the sake of all mankind.

So Jesus did not use hyperboles. He is very much the Son of God, a part of God, the living Word of God. He fell away from the family of the womb, to embrace his spiritual family. To do so, to get what he was promised, he had to emmerse himself in death, overcome, and become then the mediator. And he did it for all those who believe.

John 14:6

Jesus replied, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

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Post note: A Catholic whom I share with, said what about the verse, " camel through the eye of a needle is like a rich man entering heaven."

The term "eye of a needle" is used as a metaphor for a very narrow opening. It occurs several times throughout the Talmud. The New Testament quotes Jesus as saying that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God".

A metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

A hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

A metaphor is common is holy scripture, exaggeration is not.

Faith can move mountains is another example of a metaphor.