TV commercials sell products. If you remember the commercial but not the product, then the commercial failed. I remember a commercial that sold something, but I don’t remember what it was. I remember the commercial because a teenage daughter shouted at her mother, “I LOVE you!” With the tone of voice and emphasis of the words, it sure sounded a lot like, “I HATE you!” That was the hook of the commercial. The shout sounded wrong.
It is written in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” Jesus’ disciples loved Jesus and love others enough to try to bring them to Jesus. The disciples would have thought that everyone should be happy to hear the good news. Jesus told them to expect the opposite. It just sounds wrong.
Hostile people still reject the good news about Jesus. They act hostile toward the messenger of the good news. Jesus’ message is reconciliation and peace, but people react to it with animosity and hatred. Jesus warned His disciples to know what sounds wrong actually sounds right.
Do you hate the message and the messenger, or do you want to hear more about Jesus? Being His disciple brings teasing and persecution, but it also brings God’s approval and eternal life. The good trumps the bad no matter how badly people treat us, and that sounds right.
We would love to see you Sunday.
Photo by Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash
