“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 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. Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.”

John 15:18‭-‬23 NLT

Continuing to prepare His disciples for the coming day when He would be arrested, illigally tried and sentenced to death, Jesus speaks with His discples. He’s already told them in this conversation that to obey Him was to love Him and that to life Him was to love the Father and that they were not slaves, subject to a harsh taskmaster, as many Hebrews had believed prior to them, but that they were FRIENDS of Jesus- companions, people who Jesus wanted to hang out with!

So here, Jesus warns and consoles them by reminding them that’s its likely they would be hated by the world! They should remember in such times that HE was hated by the world before them and that this shouldn’t be surprising! They no longer belonged to the world since Jesus had chosen them OUT of the world, so they were no longer ACCEPTED by the world! When happens to us, we should be happy- THIS IS A GOOD THING for it shows that we NO LONGER RESEMBLE THE WORLD! Jesus reminds them and us that a servant is not greater than his teacher and “since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.” Ultimately, all of these things are shared with God the Father, so we should rejoice!

In short, the world hasn’t changed, BUT WE HAVE! To no longer resemble the world and share commodity with it IS A GOOD THING!

Think about it!