This is an exaggeration to show how important it is to love Jesus much more than anyone else. If the hyperbole would be misunderstood, it can be translated as "If anyone comes to me and does not love me more than he loves his father...he cannot be my disciple" or positively as "If anyone comes to me, he can be my disciple only if he loves me more than he loves his own father." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]])
## Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple ##
This can be expressed positively: "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must carry his own cross and follow me."
## carry his own cross ##
This means "be willing to die." People who were condemned to die were often forced to carry the cross on which they would be hung and killed. People who followed Christ would have to be willing to suffer persecution that could come.