Today's text is John 15:18-25.
18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 24 If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father. 25 Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’
I don't know of any mentally healthy person who actively desires to be hated.
"Hate" is a pretty strong word. Like "love", it implies action but, in the case of hatred, action which harms.
As part of His last conversation with His disciples before the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, Jesus plainly told them that they would be hated for bearing His name (vs. 21). He mentions both the world at large, and the Jews of that day in particular. His words are applicable to His followers today.
When I was a young child, these verses did not make a lot of sense to me. I was raised in a small community, where my family was known and my parents respected. There was little crime. Most people either were Christians or claimed to be. I certainly was not hated for my faith. At that point, I thought that this passage only applied to areas of the world openly hostile to Christianity - - - you know, those far-flung places where missionaries go.
But, now that I am older, the United States has changed. The world has gotten "smaller", due to advances in communication and travel. Human knowledge has expanded at an exponential rate. Communities and countries are becoming increasingly diverse. As a result, the tenets of people's faiths have a larger, broader outlet for expression. This brings conflict.
The world's answer to such conflict is to advocate something called, "tolerance" OR to advocate outright hatred toward opposing views. Tolerance does not merely mean to respect another person's right to believe something different than you; it demands you go further than that and actually express your approval of it. Otherwise, you are a "hater" of those with whom you disagree. This is a distortion, a bludgeon that is used by some people to attack those with different beliefs.
To a point, respect is "do-able", as long as the other side's beliefs or practices do not harm you. But, when the level of disagreement comes to governmental and legal levels, there is often no common ground.
If you are puzzled at the incredible dysfunction evident in our levels of federal government today, let me submit to you that at the root of the disagreement is disagreement on biblical issues. Here are a couple that I see to be the most foundational:
1. Liberty vs. Enslavement
I speak here of the right to achieve success on one's own or to be "taken care of" by the government. The latter produces people who are eventually so dependent upon the government for their survival that they are enslaved by that very dependence. The latter situation also gives the governmental officials more power over the people they supposedly "represent". The way the US was designed was according to the Biblical principle of individual freedom and self-government. The basic idea was that people would govern themselves and live their lives free from governmental interference. This was a revolutionary idea at the time.
2. Sexual Freedom vs. Sexual Purity
Some of the most vocal members of our society argue for "rights" that involve the "freedom" to kill babies in the womb or to demand the normalization of other perverse sexual behaviors. I saw an article on a blog I follow last night about bestiality. It was so vile that I could not finish reading it. That's next, folks - - - the forced "normalization" of bestiality or polygamy or the sexualization of young children. On these issues, as is the case with others, there IS no common ground to be found. Tolerance only extends so far.
This is the current manifestation of hatred against Christians today - - - forcing us to accept positions/laws/practices which are contrary to the Bible. And, this hatred against Christians will intensify. More persecution of Christians is occurring world-wide now than at any other time since the time of Jesus Christ.
People who do not follow Christ hate God, Christ and Christians because of one reason: their love of their sin. Show me someone who hates God, and I will ask them, "What favorite sin are you holding on to?" It may be the sin of prideful rebellion: "No one (not even God) is going to tell me what to do!" Or, it may be something more specific. But, there is always a sin.
So, fellow believers, do not be surprised when you encounter hatred from the world. Jesus predicted it. But, I want to caution you - - - this does not give you the right to behave hatefully to others. He walked in humility as He shared the truth with those who were lost.
We are to boldly, yet humbly, proclaim the truth - - - to resist attempts at forced normalization - - - but, we are also to extend respect and the righteous love of God to those who hold a different set of beliefs. When we react in a hateful, sinful manner, we hurt the cause of our Savior.
We do not belong to the world; we belong to Him. Let's act like it.
Good morning, Lord. It is not fun to be hated because of my faith in Jesus. In the face of that, Lord, please give me the courage and the self-control that comes from the indwelling of Your Spirit, to react in a manner that pleases You, that brings honor to Your name. I am sorry for the times that I have acted otherwise, and I appreciate Your forgiveness. Sometimes, it is hard to know exactly how to respond. Please give me and my brothers and sisters in the faith Your wisdom, Your insight, to know how best to demonstrate the love of Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment