{"id":1505,"date":"2012-11-01T15:46:35","date_gmt":"2012-11-01T15:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/68.183.22.105\/?p=1505"},"modified":"2024-10-02T14:26:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T14:26:32","slug":"3-reasons-to-hate-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-sites.ccci.org\/agapeuk-old\/3-reasons-to-hate-me\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons to Hate Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Danielle Wilson<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cIf the world hates you,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>remember that it hated me first.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0John 15:18<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Recently, I\u2019ve been contemplating John 15 and allowing myself to think long and hard about what \u2018being hated<\/span>\u00a0for following Jesus<\/span>\u2019\u00a0<\/span>might\u00a0<\/span>look like for me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

\u00a0<\/span>I may not face the daily persecution that other believers around the world face.\u00a0 But w<\/span>ould I be willing to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>lose<\/span>\u00a0a close friendship or a relationship with a family member<\/span>?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>And under what circumsta<\/span>nces\u00a0<\/span>might<\/span>\u00a0this even happen?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

T<\/span>hroughout the gospels, Jesus states that simply\u00a0<\/span>following<\/span>\u00a0him<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>brings hatred<\/span>\u00a0(John 15:18<\/span>-20<\/span>;\u00a0<\/span>Matt<\/span>hew 10:22,\u00a0<\/span>24:9)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>But\u00a0WHY would following Jesus and sharing his\u00a0message\u00a0of\u00a0love and forgiveness move\u00a0some\u00a0people\u00a0to\u00a0hatred?<\/p>

\u00a0<\/span>The Bible has a few clear answers:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Gospel is offensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>

The\u00a0<\/span>unadulterated<\/span>\u00a0truth of Jesus<\/span>\u00a0and his<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>message<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can be<\/span>\u00a0repellent<\/span>\u00a0to those who haven\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>yet\u00a0<\/span>embraced it.\u00a0 For\u00a0<\/span>those<\/span>\u00a0in darkness, it\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0a blinding flash<\/span>\u00a0of light\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>John\u00a0<\/span>3:19-20).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Speaking the truth of the gospel<\/span>\u00a0can<\/span>\u00a0bring a<\/span>\u00a0strong<\/span>\u00a0reaction that has<\/span>\u00a0nothing to do wi<\/span>th whether people<\/span>\u00a0like you or not<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Jesus\u2019 Sermon on the Mount\u00a0in Matthew 5 is a pretty shocking challenge to life as we know it.\u00a0 It describes an upside down kingdom\u00a0where we celebrate the weak and love those who hate\u00a0and hurt\u00a0us.\u00a0Philip Yancey says in his book\u00a0<\/span>\u2018The Jesus I Never Knew\u2019<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI find it strangely heartening that the Bible remains offensive to honest, ignorant ears, just as it was in the first century\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The Sermon on the Mount forces us to recognise the great distance between God and us, and any attempt to reduce that distance by somehow moderating its demands misses the point altogether.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Love is offensive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>

I<\/span>n John 15<\/span>:9<\/span>, Jesus\u00a0<\/span>speaks in<\/span>\u00a0great detail about love \u2026<\/span>\u00a0the love of the F<\/span>ather for him, his love for his disciples, and the kind of self-sacrificial love his disciples should have for one another.\u00a0 Then he immediately<\/span>\u00a0moves on to talk about\u00a0<\/span>hatred<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>It seems to me\u00a0<\/span>Jesus connected these two concepts for a reason.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>In\u00a0<\/span>the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asked<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?\u201d (Matthew 5:46)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>

In other words, love those who are tough to love and don\u2019t expect love in return.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Perhaps<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you have experienced\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0reaction against<\/span>\u00a0this kind of love yourself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>My<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>imperfect\u00a0<\/span>attempts to practically love those who are \u2018difficult\u2019 or have deep needs have<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at times<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0been painful experiences.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Disdain<\/span>, ingratitude<\/span>\u00a0and rejection in the<\/span>\u00a0face of love are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>hard<\/span>\u00a0for our human minds to compute.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Yet, t<\/span>his is a mere echo of what Jesus experienced.\u00a0 He<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>said of himself,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThey hated me without cause\u201d (John 15:25).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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You\u00a0are offensive.\u00a0<\/h2>

If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are an\u00a0<\/span>alien.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>he world would love you\u00a0<\/span>as its own,<\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span>you don\u2019t belong here anymore (John 15:19<\/span>, 17:14<\/span>).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In\u00a0<\/span>1 Peter<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>talks about how<\/span>\u00a0friends<\/span>\u00a0from your \u2018old life\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>may<\/span>\u00a0abuse\u00a0<\/span>or slander\u00a0<\/span>you<\/span>\u00a0in their surprise at how your life has changed<\/span>\u00a0(4:4)<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>They<\/span>\u00a0might not even be\u00a0<\/span>aware of the\u00a0<\/span>reasons\u00a0<\/span>they are\u00a0<\/span>reacting against you<\/span>.\u00a0 P<\/span>erhaps\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>are looking for you to slip up\u00a0<\/span>to reassure\u00a0<\/span>themselves<\/span>\u00a0that<\/span>\u00a0you aren\u2019t very different after all.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We shouldn\u2019t live our lives in fear of making\u00a0mistakes, but\u00a01 Peter reminds us of the importance of living good and holy lives at work and in our communities \u2013 don\u2019t let people hate you for\u00a0doing\u00a0what is\u00a0wrong\u00a0(1 Peter 3:13-17). If they hate you for doing what is right,\u00a0so be it.\u00a0\u00a0Asking forgiveness when you do\u00a0get it wrong\u00a0is an incredible witness to those around you.\u00a0\u00a0And by\u00a0living\u00a0this way you\u00a0will have\u00a0opportunities to share the hope that you have.\u00a0 Be ready.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I don\u2019t want to be hated because of a particular political agenda, for not being able to hear or engage with the opinions of others, for an inability to disagree respectfully, or because of a lack of love, compassion or empathy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>But it is worth being<\/span>\u00a0hated for\u00a0<\/span>speaking up<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>about<\/span>\u00a0Jesus, for loving people\u00a0<\/span>sacrificially<\/span>\u00a0and for living a life\u00a0<\/span>with Jesus at its centre.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The question I live with is this:\u00a0<\/span>Am I willing to do these things, even if they cost me?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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