[TUES 2/21/12] John 15:18-27

By Ceena Idicula

This portion of John 15 is one of my favorite Bible passages. So often, we complain that things don't go our way, and that even when we serve God in our lives, things still don't work out the way that we feel they should. We feel like the world hates us - like everything works against us.

And then Jesus makes the most simple, yet most profound statement: "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you," (v.19). There's a quote from C.S. Lewis that says, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." We, as humans, long for this complete and whole joy. We find in ourselves desires that nothing in this world can satisfy, and that is because we do not actually belong to this world. Jesus makes it clear to us that we have been chosen out of the world, not for it. We are meant for another world; we are meant to be set apart.

And this is why the world hates us. More often than not, living a life that is set apart according to God's standards will not guarantee us success, glamour, and acceptance from the world we find ourselves in. Our circumstances will turn against us unexpectedly, our plans will go awry, and we will feel that we are hated by the people around us - by the world around us.

Jesus reminds the disciples, and us, that He endured physical pain, torment, persecution, and ridicule. He does not speak to us from a place of not knowing, but instead, His words come from real experience. His words come from the pain and physical disappointments of this world, yet He was - just as we are - destined for another world. Living a life solely for this world, we can attain happiness, success, and pleasure, but it's all momentary. Serving Jesus and living a life where we recognize and embrace that we are destined for another world - that we are chosen out of the world, we are not ensured special or perfect treatment . Instead, we may face trials, persecution, and discouragement. It's easy to get caught up in being loved by the world, but also easy to forget that this world is not where we belong.

Created over 1 year ago