John 15:17-27: a reflection

17“I command these things to you, that you may love one another. 18If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me, hates my Father also. 24If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. 25But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. 27You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

As Jesus prepares his disciples for the world after his departure, he tells them plainly not to be surprised by the world's opposition. If the world hates you, he says, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. A servant is not greater than his lord; if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. The opposition his followers would face was not a sign that something had gone wrong; it was to be expected, for the world had opposed Christ first, and his followers were not greater than their Master. The hatred of the world for Christ would extend to those who belonged to him; they were not to be surprised by it, but to understand it.

Notice what Jesus prepares his disciples to expect: the world's opposition, because it opposed him first. He does not promise that the world will welcome his followers; he warns that it will oppose them, as it opposed him. The servant is not greater than the Master; if they persecuted Christ, they would persecute his followers. The opposition was not a sign of failure or of God's absence; it was the natural consequence of belonging to a Christ the world had rejected. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand this in advance, so that the world's hatred would not surprise or shake them. The opposition they would face flowed from their belonging to Christ, whom the world hated first.

That is worth taking to heart, for we should not be surprised by the world's opposition, since it opposed Christ before us. When we face opposition, hostility, rejection for following Christ, we can be shaken, wondering whether something has gone wrong; but Jesus warned that the world would oppose his followers as it opposed him, for the servant is not greater than the Master. The world's opposition is not a sign of failure but of belonging to a Christ it rejected. Do not be surprised or shaken when the world opposes you for following Christ; he told us it would, since it opposed him first. Do not be surprised by the world's opposition when you follow Christ, understanding that it opposed him before it opposed you and that the servant is not greater than the Master, as Jesus warned that if they persecuted him they would persecute his followers; for the world's hatred of Christ extends to those who belong to him, and its opposition is not a sign that something has gone wrong but the consequence of belonging to a Christ the world rejected.

Lord Jesus, as you prepare your disciples for the world after your departure, you tell them plainly not to be surprised by the world's opposition. If the world hates you, you say, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. A servant is not greater than his lord; if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. The opposition your followers would face was not a sign that something had gone wrong; it was to be expected, for the world had opposed you first. Show me what you prepare your disciples to expect: the world's opposition, because it opposed you first. You do not promise that the world will welcome your followers; you warn that it will oppose them, as it opposed you. The servant is not greater than the Master. The opposition was not a sign of failure or of God's absence; it was the natural consequence of belonging to a Christ the world had rejected. You wanted your disciples to understand this in advance, so that the world's hatred would not surprise or shake them. Take that to my heart, for I should not be surprised by the world's opposition, since it opposed you before me. When I face opposition, hostility, rejection for following you, I can be shaken, wondering whether something has gone wrong; but you warned that the world would oppose your followers as it opposed you. The world's opposition is not a sign of failure but of belonging to a Christ it rejected. Keep me from being surprised or shaken when the world opposes me for following you, Lord; you told us it would, since it opposed you first, and the servant is not greater than the Master.