5th week in Easter Time, Saturday – 16th May 2020 — Gospel: Jn 15,18-21
Reasons why believers are hated
Jesus emphasizes the ‘world’ using six times in two verses (15,18 & 19). The ‘world’ refers to the organized system under Satan’s domain that is opposed to God and His rightful King, Jesus Christ. The world is known for its hatred (15,18), while the disciples are known for their love (15,17). The apostle draws this contrast again in 1 Jn 5,19: “we know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.” Jesus paints the contrast in black and white in order to draw a distinction and to show that we must take sides. The reason why the world hates believers is because we’re different from the world. 1) We have a different calling: Jesus chose us out of this evil world (15,19). We have been divinely chosen (15,16). We don’t have the ability to choose Christ, but it is the Father, who chooses and draws us unto him (Jn 6,37-40. 44 & 65). 2) We have a different Master: Jesus is our Lord, while the world serves Satan (15,20). Before God rescued us, we all lived in Satan’s power of darkness (Col 1,13), but now we live in Christ’s kingdom of light. 3) We have different knowledge: we have the Father, but the world does not (15,21). The fundamental problem of people in the world is that they do not know the living and true God. They refuse to acknowledge that all they have comes from God (1 Cor 4,7).
