Read John 15:23-25 + Matthew 5:11-12 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. How did Jesus live His life?
2. What prophecy did His mistreatment fulfill? (See Psalm 35:19 or 69:4)
3. What do those who are mistreated because of Jesus receive?
Reflect
Jesus lived a perfect life, and the world still hated Him. He warned His disciples that they would also experience hatred. During His famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, He offered a blessing for those who are persecuted – but with an important qualifier.
The blessing isn’t for every bad experience we go through. We’re blessed when we’re hated because of Jesus. This means that we might receive hatred for other reasons. Jesus wasn’t giving a free pass to mistreat others, and He didn’t say it was wrong for others to feel disappointed or upset with us when we make mistakes that hurt them. It’s often healthy and healing for others to express how we’ve hurt them, so we can’t automatically assume every bad feeling or situation is because of persecution.
A challenging but edifying question to reflect on today is if there’s anything about you that makes it hard for people to see Jesus. This shouldn’t bring shame because there are things in every believer’s life that require God’s grace. Let the Holy Spirit lovingly convict you so that He can help you look more like Christ.
Respond
Is there anything about you that is making it hard for people to see Jesus? When you realize you’ve made a mistake, what’s your typical response? Do you sink into shame, try to sweep it under the rug, or something in between? Spend some time in prayer asking God to help you respond to others in ways that show them His love.