Hated by the World (John 15:18-25)

Today's scripture: John 15:18-25

Does the world hate you? If you're a follower of Christ, it should. A contrast—a significant difference—should be seen between believers and unbelievers ... so much so that they hate us. We will shine the light of Jesus so brightly that it convicts them of their own sin. As one commentary says:

In contrast to Jesus’ love for his disciples is the world’s hatred for them. There is no doubt at all that the world will hate the disciples of Jesus; as E. Hoskyns states, “The implacable hatred of the World for the friends of Jesus is the sign of the verity of that friendship.” Or as R. Brown states, “To belong to Jesus is not to belong to the world, and the world can love only what belongs to it.” There will be a point at which the disciples’ loving obedience to Jesus makes them so much like him, that the world will respond to them just as it responded to Jesus himself. This will mean persecution. As L. Morris states, “It is not without its significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (https://bible.org/seriespage/exegetical-commentary-john-15)

I wonder ... I don't feel hated by the world. I don't feel my non-believing friends look at me with disdain or even indifference ... Am I shining His light? Is there a difference in me that convicts others? Because I belong to Christ, I shouldn't belong to the world, and the world should hate me.

We're on this earth for such a short time, so we should be focused on what's most important. It's not being so much a part of this world that we're loved by it ; rather, it's being so different that we're hated by it ... and loved by God.

And that's all that matters.