Hate their fathers and their mothers Gospel of Thomas Saying 55

Saying 55

(55) Jesus said, "Those who do not hate their fathers and their mothers cannot be disciples of me, and those who do not hate their brothers and their sisters and take up their cross like me will not become worthy of me."

Saying 54 and 55 belong together. This saying is a combination of Luke 14:26-27 (hating father and mother, brothers and sisters, carrying cross, becoming disciple) with Matthew 10:37-38 (being worthy of me). From Luke, Thomas omits mention of wife and children, perhaps because the Gnostic will have neither; he adds to carrying the cross 'as I do' 'like me,' for 'and come after Me.'
Matthew and Luke evidently give variant translations of the same original saying, and it is therefore possible that what seems at first sight to be a conflation is, in fact, another rendering.
perhaps because as in John 19:17, Jesus bears his own cross

The key words mathetes (disciple), stauros (cross), and axios (worthy) appear in Greek in the Coptic text. The theme of imitating Jesus carrying his cross, which is implicit in the passages of the Synoptic Gospels, is made explicit by the addition in the Gospel of Thomas: '.. . carry his cross as I have.
The word “hate” ought to read “put aside” we have to put aside our families to become a disciple of Christ if one wants to become bone of Christ's bone, and flesh of His flesh, they must "leave father and mother, and be joined unto the wife." They find themselves now, perhaps, members of denominations as they happen to be led. These are their parentage according to the fleshly mind. They must be forsaken, and men must become "one flesh" and "one spirit" in the Lord, if they would inherit the kingdom of God (Mat 10:37). "This is a great mystery," says Paul, "but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph 5:22-32). Just as Jesus says “as I do will not be worthy of me” we must put aside our brothers and sisters and pick up our cross just as Jesus did thus “as I do”

We must try to imitate Jesus’ crucifixion which is the crucifixion of the flesh and its appetites. Now  Jesus was tempted in all things as we are so the carrying of the cross “as I do” here is the ultimate model of conquering the passions of the flesh Rom 8:3. In doing this “as I do” we become like unto Christ himself by shaping yourself into the image of the Lord crucifying the flesh with its passions.
Manichaean Psalm Book 175:25-30 as saying: "I have left father and mother and brother and sister. I have come a stranger for the sake of your name. I have taken up my cross, and I have followed you. I have left the things of the flesh for the sake of the things of the spirit. I have disregarded the glory of the world for the sake of your glory that does not pass away."

55)### Jesus said, "Whoever does not put aside his father [the devil (who is one's father until "the old man" is put to death)] and his mother [the spirit of the world (flesh) which he is currently bound by (a religion)] cannot become a disciple to Me [one must reconcile with these first - for "one cannot serve two masters"]. And whoever does not aside his brothers and sisters [who are also "of" the world in a religion] and take up his cross [begin to crucify his flesh] in My way [according to his will and not our own or another's (religious leader) - "call One your Master"] will not be worthy of Me [the Word - these will not be given the Keys of Knowledge nor with they find "the life" in them]."