You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. I give you these commandments so that you can love each other. “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, I have chosen you out of the world, and you don’t belong to the world. This is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘Servants aren’t greater than their master.’ If the world harassed me, it will harass you too. If it kept my word, it will also keep yours. The world will do all these things to you on account of my name, because it doesn’t know the one who sent me. “If I hadn’t come and spoken to the people of this world, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates the Father. If I hadn’t done works among them that no one else had done, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. This fulfills the word written in their Law, They hated me without a reason. (John 15:16-25, CEB)
If the world hates you…
Hate is a strong word.
As followers of Christ, we are told to hate no one. We are to love our neighbors and our enemies. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be hated.
Jesus was killed because he radically loved and accepted everyone and that didn’t sit well with the powers of the day. So when we follow Jesus and love like Jesus loved it will not sit well with the powers of today.
Those who want to maintain their power will be thrown off and will hate you for trying to usurp their power.
Hold fast. Know you are not alone and that God is walking with you.
Love like Jesus, in spite of their hate.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 