I’m Not Sure I’m Ready to Be Hated

ALL – Psalm 12:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 3:13-15
OT – Genesis 30:1-31:16
NT – Matthew 10:1-26

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus and His followers. Some of those opinions aren’t the nicest. Jesus told His disciples to plan on it being that way:

Brother shall betray brother to death, and fathers shall betray their own children. And children shall rise against their parents and cause their deaths. Everyone shall hate you because you belong to me. But all of you who endure to the end shall be saved. – Matthew 10:21-22, The Living Bible

“Everyone shall hate you because you belong to me.” A lot of people don’t like Christians. People from other religions don’t like Christians because we claim that they are wrong in their beliefs and that they will go to hell if they continue to cling to their most treasured, passionate religious worldviews. Secularists don’t like Christians because Christians believe in God. Naturalists don’t like Christians because Christians believe that God raises the dead. Following Jesus is not popular. I mean, really following Jesus is not popular. In America it’s still pretty acceptable to belong to a church.

But really following Jesus is another matter. Those who really follow Jesus wholeheartedly tend to stand out from the crowd, even in church. They make others nervous. They get teased, perhaps mocked. If they’re fortunate, their families share the same beliefs and the same fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit. But often Jesus’ followers are alone in their beliefs when they go home. And family resents, even hates, a man, woman or child who stands faithfully for Jesus.

Lord, give Your people thick skins here on earth, and big hearts to look forward to Your resurrection, the reward of enduring this world’s hatred.

Are you ready to be hated?

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