John 5:18 (ESV)
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Feed the poor. Cool! Heal the sick. Love it! Teach some great life lessons. Wonderful! Most people—including the Jewish leaders back in the day—appreciate the good works done by Jesus and his followers, but once it starts to get a little closer to home, the story changes quickly. There was an abortion clinic volunteer that approached some pro-life friends of mine on the sidewalk outside the facility one Saturday not too long ago. She told them, “Why don’t you guys just stay in your churches and do your religious thing instead of coming out here trying to ram it down our throats!” It was a profound moment, to say the least.
True Christianity is not safe.
The Jewish leaders hated Jesus for a number of reasons, but today’s verse points out the biggest two: He didn’t play by their rules (Sabbath) and he claimed the authority that goes with his status as the Son of God. Much of the unbelieving world today hates Christ, His Church, and His Followers for the exact same reasons. When we follow the Lord’s commands and live our lives accordingly, we condemn the world’s rules without saying a word. When we tell people that Jesus is the only way to the Father and that His Word is The Truth, the world hates us all the more.
Do you ever feel that hatred?
Jesus’ main purpose was not to make people mad. On the contrary, His first visit was to
“seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). However, in order to do the latter, the former was a natural result. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). This reality often leads to mocking. “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:15-16). This is why the abortion clinic worked hated my pro-life friends. Their mere presence was a powerful reminder of God’s truth on that subject, and they were hated for it.
So, what’s with all the hate? It’s a natural by-product of the Truth that you represent. Even the kindest, most gentle Christian on the planet will experience it…if they are living out their faith. Have you experienced it, yet?
