Today’s reading: 2 Kings 16; John 15
As someone who likes to be liked, Jesus’ words in John 15 are sobering and personally challenging…
Jesus tells His disciples that, if they follow Him, the world will hate them just as it hated Him. Contrary to popular belief these days, Jesus did not merely teach that we should be nice people and not step on anyone’s toes and just quietly live a “kind” life until we die. He calls us to actively go forth into all the world, making disciples of all nations. He calls us to share His good news with everyone, but that good news that we are to share is that everyone is a sinner condemned to Hell, but through Jesus can find rescue and eternal life. He calls us to live a moral life, but according to His morality, not the world’s morality. He calls us to align our values with what He says is important, which often conflicts with what the world says is valuable.
A life lived following Jesus isn’t just a parallel track to a life lived after the world, but is a contrary track at times, which will inevitably cause friction with those on the world’s track. This is why Jesus warns His disciples, and us as His disciples today, that the world will hate us for being His followers.
For me, this is a “count the cost” kind of thing. I very much dislike being disliked. I would love to be on the same page with everyone and give them no reason to be against me, but that is not the life Jesus is calling me to; that is not the life He saved me for. For me, this has to be a conscious decision. I have to actively remind myself that this life isn’t even a blip on the timeline of the eternity that I will have in Heaven, and that the more faithful I am in this little blip of a life, the more God promises rewards that will last for the eternity I am with Him after. So I could compromise here, downplaying my relationship with Jesus and choosing to live more for the world than for Christ, in order to try to avoid the world’s disdain, but I know that is a compromise I would wish for eternity I had not made.
I don’t want to be hated by the world, but I do want to be faithful to Jesus, and there are times I need to choose between the two. The hatred of the world feels more real in the moment than the pleasure of Christ, but the world and it’s hatred will pass away, perishing for all eternity, while the pleasure of our Savior will endure forever.
It may not be comfortable or enjoyable, but the hatred of the world is always worth it if it is what is necessary to walk faithfully after the Lord.
Father, give me a heart to always prefer your pleasure with my life over the world’s.
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