Speaking Truth about the world: "Receiving the faithful response from evil"
John 7:7 “the world can’t hate you but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.”
As I read this verse this morning two things are coming to mind. The first is that Jesus is telling his audience that they are not making any accusations of the world. They are either sitting back and allowing the injustice to be pervasive and not saying anything or they are actually participating in the injustice. Because of their lack of action or action toward the world the world has no reason to hate them. The second is that Jesus does expose the injustice and cause the evil of the world by name. The world has no other choice than to hate Jesus, that is what evil does best, hate. As Jesus exposes the injustice of the world, the world responds faithfully to the evil with in it; it hates Jesus.
I’m asking a couple of questions about myself this morning. I’m wondering if the evil of the world hates me. I’m wondering if the evil of the world is threatened by God’s work within my life. I’m wondering if the evil of the world embraces me and is glad I’m around. Let’s face it; I’m a people pleaser…..I like people to like me. This verse eats me at my core this morning. When I am a people pleaser I am a world pleaser and when I am a world pleaser I am nothing but those in the crowd Jesus is speaking to in this verse. However, I desire to be a God pleaser. I desire to speak God’s truth in Jesus Christ which means calling out the evil of the world. I desire to be hated by the evil of the world. I desire to be a threat to the evil of the world. I desire to be Jesus’ mouthpiece that continues to expose and accuse the world of the evil in it that God’s grace might expose that evil and triumph over it. May I never forget that evil is defeated through Jesus Christ and that I have nothing to fear because through Christ I already have the victory.
Lord Jesus, protect me today from the temptation to please people and please the world. Protect me from the temptation to not speak against the evil of the world and in not speaking join the losing side. Give me the grace to stand in your victory and boldly proclaim your grace and expose the injustices of the world. Use me as your mouth piece this week to expose the evil that infects our lives and when people hate me because of it give me the grace not to hate in return but to know this is the only faithful response of evil. Give me the grace to be as faithful to you as evil is faithful to hate. Amen!
Following in the footsteps of Jesus means to call it like it is and to know that hate is coming in return.
Click here for Crossroads Church!
