Hated without Cause

“They that hate me.” It is perhaps surprising that men should hate the altogether lovely One, “without a cause.” There was no sense in it. Jesus had broken no law, He had done no damage to the Israeli nation or to any individual. He had gone about continually doing good, both to their souls and bodies; so that He merited their highest esteem and love, and not their hatred; and yet they were His enemies. He had not only done no evil, but He had bestowed countless and priceless benefits. Well might He demand, “For which of these works do ye stone me?” (Joh 10:32). Yet from His cradle to His cross, beginning with Herod and not ending with Judas, He had foes without number; and He justly said, they “are more than the hairs of mine head.” The kings of the earth and the rulers took counsel together (Psa 2:2) against the Lord but they didn’t have any just ground for hating him. They that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty.” It was bad that they were many, but worse that they were mighty. The might of the Sanhedrim, Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Roman legions, and the mob were combined together for His utter destruction, “Away with this man; crucify Him,; we have no king but Caesar” was the universal shout. Though innocent, He was treated as guilty. Usually, when the ruler sins the people suffer, but here the proverb is reversed - the sheep go astray, and the Shepherd suffers.

Why should they hate Him? See also Psa_35:19. He had moved amongst them preaching, teaching, and healing, yet they hated Him, Joh_15:25. They rejected Him. The Lord warned in John 15: 18-23 that because He was hated without a cause, those that follow Him must expect the same treatment. He gives three reasons why His followers would be hated:

The world hates believers because they are not of the world: they are new creatures. They are called out from the world. Believers are in the world, but they are not of the world. They are different. They are separate from its thinking, its religion and philosophies, its prejudices, passions, and covetousness, and because of this separation, this difference, the world does not love believers; it rejects and hates them.

The world hates believers because they are identified with Christ. The Lord suffered persecution; therefore, the believer will suffer persecution. It is to be expected.

The world hates believers because it does not really know God. The world thinks of God as the One who fulfils their earthly requirements (John 6:2, 26). Man’s idea of God is that of a Supreme Grandfather who protects and provides and gives no matter what a person’s behaviour is, just as long as it is not too far out. The world believes that God (the Supreme Grandfather) will accept and work all things out in the final analysis. However, the true believer teaches against this, proclaiming that God is both loving and just. God does love us, but He demands righteousness of us. The world, of course, rebels against this concept of God.

Does the world hate us? If not, why not? Has the world become more Christian, or Christians more worldly?