If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
The Teacher knows in a few days He will ascend to the Father. There is something He wants His students to understand and to prepare for in advance.
The rejection they will soon suffer!
Certainly they have already experienced some of this. Not everyone loved Jesus. At times, His students must have seen the scorn and hatred of His enemies up close and personal.
But in fact, the vast majority of people listened to Jesus eagerly and great throngs of people followed and adored Him. And when attacks did come, Jesus alone was the focus of hatred.
Now it will be their time to suffer persecution.
It’s still the same today, not everyone follows Jesus. And some take it one step further. They make it as difficult as possible on those who do.
Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name…
Being a friend of Jesus isn’t always an easy or popular thing to do. Students of Jesus must make a choice when they decide to follow Him. They must make peace with the fact they too will be opposed.
Living Jesus’ way is not the way of the world. To be in the world and live differently from the world creates friction. It is the point at which a student of Jesus differs from the lifestyles and beliefs of the culture that rejection comes.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Why would people hate someone for doing good and being nice? Isn't this the picture we have of Jesus and Christians? Jesus said if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin. Yes he did good and was kind, but he did not overlook their sin. Why would he? Didn't he come to give life, even abundant life? Sin must be confronted in order to change it.And then since we are no longer serving sin we look different from those still caught up in sin so now we are hated for that too.
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