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 fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify on My behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with Me from the beginning.
1 I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them” John 15:18-27; 16:1-4.
I have always loved the opening remarks of Jesus in the text above: 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” John 15:18-19. These are challenging words because the Father testified to His love for the Son by sending Him into the World, just as the Son testifies to His love for the disciples — and for you and me — by sending us into the world. And this is why the world hates God and hates followers of Jesus Christ, because we share a common mission. The battle between Satan and Jesus in the world continues between the world and the disciples of Jesus. The world hates Jesus and refuses to accept Him because the world hates God the Father and refuses to accept Him. We disciples of Jesus cannot love Jesus and the world.
But the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, has been sent to us, and it is in the church that the Spirit will tell everyone about Jesus. And now it is our responsibility to tell everyone about Jesus!
But the opening verses of chapter 16 serve as a warning to us all. We will be thrown out of our churches by people who want us to believe they love God, but in reality they represent the world’s hatred that eventually nailed Jesus to the cross. We already noticed this in John 9 when “The Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue” John 9:22, as we saw it when Isaiah was quoted in John 12: “Isaiah saw his glory and spoke about him. 42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God” John 12:41-43. But Jesus says these things to HIs disciples to warn then that just as His hour was coming so too would their hour come when they would share in the blood of the Eucharist and in the blood of the martyr.
Dear friends, spend time in the Word and in prayer today remembering these comforting and reassuring words of Jesus: “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling” John 16:1. What Jesus desires more than anything else is that you and I not stumble. Bring this to prayer today, as I surely will, that you and I will not stumble during this day.
Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Help me today not to stumble. Keep my feet on Your path, and help me make choices that glorify You, and You alone. In Jesus
name I pray, amen.
From the Bible:
“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you” 1 Samuel 12:24.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” Hebrews 10:23.
“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart” Proverbs 3:3.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” Deuteronomy 6:5.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” 2 Thessalonians 3:3.
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