Love & Hate

 March 21, 2021

“Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” —1John 2:15

Why would anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ love the world? In John’s gospel, chapter 15, Jesus is giving his final teaching to his disciples. In a matter of hours he will be arrested, subjected to a mock trial, beaten, and crucified. He is careful with his words; there is no room for trivial prattle. He identifies himself as the True Vine to which we must remain connected if we are to have life, but then transitions to a different theme.

He speaks of love; the Father’s love for him, his for his disciples, and the centrality of their love for one another. Eight times in s many verses, he uses the word. Love is foundational to his message, to the Gospel. 

Suddenly in verse 18, his words take on a different tone as he launches into a new direction. From such kindly words about his and his Father’s love, he jerks us to a different reality with the word “hate.” “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.” Six times he hammers home his warning with the word “hate.” The contrast is startling...and deliberate. He needs to toughen up these men to whom he has entrusted his message. They need to know what they’re up against so they don’t crumble when they find themselves up against it.

Here in the USA, we haven’t known real animosity towards the Gospel until fairly recently. We are beginning to see signs of it in the suppression of speech in the public sphere and a growing belief that being a committed Christian invalidates a person from public office. The delicate balance that has been a part of our social contract is unraveling. The world, the common social order, is not our friend.

John emphasizes this in his gospel, but then raises the question in his epistle when he has to command us to not love the world. Why would we do so when we know it is against us? I think the answer lies in the power the world has to give us what we want. We want to be accepted; we don’t want to stand out. We love our comfort; we abhor ridicule, persecution, ostracism—all of which the world can deliver with devastating effectiveness. In short, we love what the world can give, and the only antidote to this world-love is the love of the Father. And that Fatherly love will forever be weak and wimpy if I fail to spend time with him. It is only through deep communion that his love is revealed. In John 14:21, Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Intimate communion that leads to obedient faith is the prerequisite for knowing the Father’s love, and only this is greater than the pull of the world upon our hearts. 

Too often, I have forgotten this basic truth that the world hates me. I’ve run to it, arms open wide. Thankfully, my Heavenly Father’s love is greater than my fickle faithlessness, and has never failed to call me back and open my eyes to the truth: Love...real love, is only found in Jesus Christ.