THE WORLD WILL HATE YOU

John 15:18-21

We are still in the Easter period and Jesus still continues to prepare his disciples for the mission ahead. In today’s gospel he warns them about persecution. “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.” Jesus’ warning to His disciples emphasizes that pain will be part of life. Suffering is part of human existence. Persecution is part of Christian life. Life with Jesus is not a bed of roses. This message invites us to understand that Christian life is not an easy life and Jesus prepares us so that we may become stronger persons in facing challenges of life and bring out the best that God has given us.

The tendency for us is that if we experience pain and sufferings and discomforts we think God has abandoned us. We think we are cursed or not loved by God. We start asking: why me God? But when we ask ourselves the question of “Why me?”, “why this is happening to me?” In times of troubles and persecutions, do we also ask ourselves “why me?” in regard to our blessings. We take for granted 100 days of perfect health, and then grumble about one day of aches and pains. We drive the freeway hundreds of times without incident, and then ask, ‘Why me?’ the one time we have a flat tire or engine trouble. How often do we say, ‘Why me?’ as we count our blessings?

If we experience pains, sufferings and discomforts in our lives, let us not immediately grumble about them because these can be God-sent experiences to strengthen our faith and our relationship with him. Choosing to follow Jesus is never to isolate oneself in an island to be freed from persecutions, ridicules, trials and difficulties. Following Jesus means to be ever ready to face the challenges that await us in a world of chaos and constant insecurities. We are called to remain in the world to transform the world with Jesus. We are called to carry our crosses if honestly we want to commit ourselves to Jesus. A life with Jesus is not a bed of roses. It is not a choice to remain unaffected by what is happening in the world; but a choice to embrace the realities around us while holding on to Jesus. The gospel clearly is a warning to those who want to follow Jesus to be ready with the world. It is said about Mother Teresa of Calcutta that one day she was asked if she didn’t feel like quitting from her difficult work of helping the poor, her answer was: “I was called not to be successful but to be faithful.” What was important for a Christian is not so much to experience consolation and success; but to walk in faith no matter what happens; to be faithful no matter what happens.