The Epistle and Gospel for the Second Sunday after Trinity contain great theological themes such as love, mercy, and mission. However, this time I would focus on one verse with great practical wisdom for Christians. The selection from the Epistle, 1 John 3: 13 begins "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."
Many believers down through the centuries have appreciated the value of John's warning. They have known that the fallen world, sometimes even within the institutional church, opposes and indeed hates the Christian message and those who sincerely seek to live in accordance with the Gospel. Unfortunately, in recent centuries, many western Christians have forgotten this Biblical truth. They have accepted the two assumptions that most human beings are "nice" and that even worldly people are well-disposed toward the Christian message. From a Biblical perspective, such assumptions have never been accurate, and they apply even less to secularized societies that no longer accept generally Christian values. Believers need to be realistic. While we look for the good in others and strive to live peaceably, we must take the fallenness of humanity and the world seriously.
Most Christians prefer to be liked, but Jesus warns His followers repeatedly that He and they must be ready to face worldly hatred. In John 15:18-19, we read, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." The early Christians knew and accepted this teaching. Many Christians have become aware of it repeatedly throughout history. In secular and so-called post-Christian societies, we must all learn once more to take this Biblical teaching seriously. Loyalty to Jesus Christ means that we are not of the world, and the world does not react very nicely when rejected. Knowing this, we must be spiritually courageous and faithful!
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