Hated without a cause
John 15:18-25
18 ‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 It was to fulfil the word that is written in their law, “They hated me without a cause.”
To live the Jesus’ way, to live so the glory goes to God, to live laying down one’s life for others, all of that reminds the world that the followers of Jesus are not following the patterns of the world – the patterns of the dominant culture. When Jesus lived the Jesus way, he was hated and despised. So it is logical that those who follow Jesus in living the Jesus way will also be hated and despised.
The primary thing that the world hates about the followers of Jesus is that their loyalty is to Jesus above loyalty to nation or company or anything other than Jesus. The systems of the world, be those systems economic, political, or social expect complete loyalty, and those people who choose to be loyal to something other than the human made systems are hated and despised. The powers of this world do not like being second to anything else – and the history of the world is full of examples of what happens when people choose against the human powers of the day.
To follow the Jesus way, to have him the number one priority in our lives, will mean that those around us will be critical of our decision. There is a cost to be paid for following Jesus. But in paying that price we are in good company for Jesus himself paid a price for living the Jesus way.
None of this is an excuse for the followers of Jesus being obnoxious or arrogant, none of this is an excuse for the followers of Jesus being disrespectful or insulting. The followers of Jesus are to live lives of care and compassion, showing that care and compassion to both friends and enemies, so that the saying that ends our reading today would apply, “The followers of Jesus were hated without a cause.”
PRAYER:
Lord God, your Son, Jesus, was hated without cause for his loyalty to you. By the action of the Holy Spirit keep us loyal to you even when we are despised and persecuted for our loyalty to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.