Scripture/Bible: "If
the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world,
the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose
you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I
said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me,
they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all this they will do
to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me. John 15:18-21
Reflection: Successful Shepherd, a successful businessman or
film star or a politician or teacher may all have one thing in common; the world
loves them, their companions too love and respect them or at least it
appears.
A
follower of Christ, whatever above field they may belong to but if they are
truly followers of Christ then the world will definitely hate them.
It
can never, never happen that a follower of Christ is loved by the world unless
they are pseudo-followers of Christ Jesus. They are the types who are loved
much by the world because they compromise on the Gospel of Christ and to them
to love as Christ loves means to please people and those in authority above
them irrespective whether it serves the plan and purpose of Christ.
St.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians says; “For we are not contending
against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers,
against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12
If our battle is not against flesh and blood then the
enemy knows it better than us. It knows whom to hate and who among these
people of the world, whether men in power and positions or ordinary men, to use
as her instrument of hate.
The evil one knows why she should hate these as she knows well
that they, by their action, steal men away from her fiefdom into the glorious reign
of Christ.
She cannot always attack them directly, so she uses men who
have submitted themselves to her reign as instruments to subjugate and vanquish
the followers of Christ.
If someone were to ask them a reason, then they would
justify it by rational arguments and assuage their guilty conscious through
collective confession, backing and support and only see the fault in the other.
Prayer: “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, protect me from those who
rise up against me, deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men”. Ps
59:1-2
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