Our scripture this morning is John 15:18-22.
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.”
Jesus speaks to us with a warning about the ways of the world. Paul tells us “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). John writes “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). All of these statements are to make us see that once we give our lives to Jesus, the world will stand against us.
Doing what is right is not always easy. We have been called to serve our savior in a world that often resists saving and pushes back against God’s love. Jesus says “love them anyway”.
When the things of this world seem to be too much to deal with, we need to reach out to our Father in Heaven in prayer and our brothers and sisters in Christ in fellowship. Jesus taught us to work together, using the gifts God has given to work in the world. The fact that it will be hard doesn’t relieve us of our responsibility.
Gracious God, the presence of sin in the world saddens us and makes it difficult to share Your love. Strengthen us in faith that we may bring the Gospel to all. Amen.