¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”

Not a very hopeful prognosis, to say the least. But that is only if we pull this verse out of context. The disciples had already been promised a new home in heaven, a reuniting with Christ, another Comforter in the Holy Spirit and answered prayer, fruitfulness and friendship with Christ. Yet, laced throughout this Upper Room interaction was prediction of trouble, trials and failure. We can expect to experience hate, just as Jesus did.

This fundamental truth we must embrace: we will be persecuted. Although particularly a difficult prospect for those Christians who are tempted to be people-pleasers, this is not something any Christian looks forward to. We are called to love and sacrifice ourselves for others. But even in this, the world will reject us. After all, Jesus demonstrated perfect love in talking with the downcast, touching lepers and accepting sinners, yet there were many who seethed with anger at Him and killed Him.

How can the world reject someone who had perfect love for others? It was because in His love, Jesus also spoke truth and He spoke about sin. And fundamentally, such talk will always override love in the lives of those who harden themselves against God. It is a miracle that anyone ever believes, considering the hardness of heart that so prevails in humanity.

As Christians, as churches, we must take this reality to heart. Some churches so desperately want to increase numbers of attendance, that they will preach the feel-good parts of the gospel story, but leave out sin and judgment altogether. Certainly that “sells” well in the market place of religion. But Christianity is a religion of truth as well as love. Love certainly is the greatest of virtues, but holding to truth is not a virtue to be compared unfavorably with love. Love is rooted in truth, in reality. Love only has significant meaning because of truth.

And the truth is that God’s love extends not to just “good people” but to sinners who have thumbed their noses at God. Without truth, love is just a feeling, a sentiment. But with truth, love is the greatest, because it endures being despised, the suffering, and shame of rejection. Love is great because with truth, one acknowledges the evil of one’s enemy, but then can truly love that enemy, despite his evil. Any other kind of “love” is limited and will ultimately fail when one’s own life is at stake. Biblical love, because it can only be enacted from the bed of truth, will at times be rejected. And we who love truly will be hated by the world, just as Jesus was hated.

Lord, help me to love even those who hate me—just like Jesus did.