Even as a child, I was an inquisitive “people watcher.”  In elementary school, I watched and wondered why the leader of a group of kids would suddenly decide for the rest of the class which kid to hate, exclude from the group, and to mock cruelly. The ring leader even developed an invisible spray invented to disinfect the cooties from us if we were touched by them, came near to them, or their things touched ours. Hate is ugly.  Hate tortures, maims, and kills the spirit of its victims.

As we grow to be adults, we mature, putting away such childish ways, right? 

John 15, The Message

Hated by the World

^18-19 “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.

²⁰ “When that happens, remember this: Servants don’t get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.

^21-25 “They are going to do all these things to you because of the way they treated me, because they don’t know the One who sent me. If I hadn’t come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn’t be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. Hate me, hate my Father—it’s all the same. If I hadn’t done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn’t be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Interesting—they have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written, ‘They hated me for no good reason.’

^26-27 “When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Hate develops within us to cover up our ignorance.  The religious leaders became Jesus’ worst enemies!  They did not know Him.  They did not want to know Him.  Most of them had lost touch with God so they did not recognize God-in-the-Flesh when He came to save them and teach them.  Most were happy with status quo, going about their days of being known as “in charge” of all things of God—without knowing God!  This led to a godless life who chose to hate the One sent from God.

When we decide to know God, believing His Son, Jesus died for our sins and rose again to instill hope of eternal life within us; hate rises up from the dark world whose leader is the enemy of God.  Called the “chief of all Liars,” “the prince of darkness,” this enemy orders his army of demons to attack as soon as our decision to “live on God’s terms” is solid.  Jesus said, “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me.”  Remember the enemy of God is the fallen angel who was kicked out of heaven for trying to BE God, demanding to take God’s place, rising up against God to do all things not of God. 

Although we think otherwise, our real enemy is not each other, not flesh and blood.  (See Ephesians 6:12).  Our real enemy seeks to distract, deceive, deconstruct our relationships with God and others, with the final goal of eternal death.  THIS is our enemy who invented hate as a weapon against God!

“They hated me for no good reason.”  Jesus gave the religious leaders every reason to believe but they refused.  They could not and would not lose what they thought they had and controlled in exchange for their souls—”because they don’t know the One who sent me.”  To know God is to know Love!  (1 John 4:7-8) 

Hate is the opposite of Love.  Hate is the sin of self who demands our own way, seeks power and glory, and sits on a “throne of lies.” (Yes, this is an Elf reference.) Hate tempts all people (unbelievers and believers) to gossip about people they do not know, assume the worst, and presume they might take their place of importance if they don’t first bring them down. Truth and Love are pushed aside so that our sin-selves can be in control.  In the church, we try to dress it up with “bless their hearts” as prayer requests are said in ways that tear down the reputation of others in judgement and assumptions. (Sigh)

Proven medically, hate affects our physical health!  Hate makes us bitter that affects all our internal organs.  The prescription for this diagnosis is the Love of God.  Love makes us better. 

Do you know what the originator of Hate hates most? 

Our enemy hates it when believers of Truth fall to their knees before God, repent of the hate in them, choose life on God’s terms, while calling out for power in Jesus Name.  Ooh, he really hates all of that! So, let’s do exactly what the enemy hates instead of falling for the enemy’s childish and selfish ways of tearing each other apart!

The benefits of God’s Love far outweigh the dark deeds of hate.  Love or hate.  It’s a decision of life or death.  See 1 Corinthians 13 for more benefits! 

The gospel of John along with his later letters to the church, as well as the Revelation of things to come, is all about the love of God as demonstrated by His Son, Jesus.  John’s writings are known as the “love chapters.”  John was also known as Jesus “beloved.”  It was John to whom Jesus entrusted the care of His earthly mother Mary as He hung on the cross for the sins of the world.  (John 19:25-29)

This is Love—the opposite of hate.   

Lord,

You warned us “in this world you will have troubles” along with “the godless will hate” us because of You in us.  It’s hard but doable because of your power in us to love our enemies who hate us for knowing you.  You have already overcome this enemy.  You, dear Jesus, will continue to be with us, helping us to overcome the skirmishes in a battle already won. 

When hate is at its worst, Your Holy Spirit reminds us that “greater are YOU in us than he that is in the world.”  You enter in, piercing the darkness with the glorious Light of Your pure Love.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I am forever grateful.  And I’m praying for my enemies to know you so they will know love and not perish in hate.

In Jesus Name, Amen