HARDSHIP AS SERVICE
Prayer
Praying On The Journey With Christ
A Commitment To Encounter Christ Through The Gospel Of John
Object:
John 15:18--16:4a
"If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world -- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them."
COMMENTARY
It is easy to suppose from this text that we ought to expect the world to hate us, and if it doesn't, to do something offensive enough to make sure that it happens. Christ doesn't ask us to make the world hate us, but rather, not to be surprised if it happens. Persecution, like suffering, is not something necessary to bring upon oneself. It comes, and it comes without cause.
When the hour of persecution comes, we are neither called upon to resist nor to despair, but to remember that this is to be expected, and that it also happened to the Christ. What is most difficult for us to handle is to receive persecution from the hands of someone committed to God, who believes that the hardship or suffering inflicted upon us is service to the Almighty.
PRAYER
Lord, persecution from believers is far more painful than anything the world can dish out to us. We expect the people of the world to resist you and us, but to receive rejection or ridicule or offense from sincere people is like being rejected by one's family. How can you afford to have a divided house? How can you expect us to bear the indignity of pious people's wrath? We are not as strong as you.
Lord, we have all felt exactly what you told us was coming. We know what it's like to be quietly ignored, dismissed as eccentric, labeled as simplistic. We have felt a little of this kind of wrath, and some of us have felt a great deal of this sort of judgment. Not only is the experience disheartening, it fills us with doubt about our own loyalty to you and our own conclusions about how to be your advocate.
In this time, we dare not be intolerant of others, even if they be misguided! We believe in the rights of others, and we have been taught not to force our views on anyone. We respect everyone's personal faith journey and don't want to suggest it's missing the mark. We have personalized the faith to the point where there can be no criticism of it. We are quickly asked, "Who are you to question the content of my faith?"
So, Lord, you are done in by what is perceived as your Spirit. All claim the liberty to formulate their own belief system. We have replaced the teachings of our ancestors with our own musings. We like to think you approve of this because it feels so "spiritual." We use your own words to prove our points of view.
Lord, your word is a sharp double-edged sword. It cuts through our personal theologies like a hot swinging sabre. You slay us with words beyond our feelings. You won't let us wallow in pleasure, but you make us see how radically different you are from self-gratification.
You tell us to forgive, when forgiveness is impossible. You tell us to give, when we think we have already done more than our share. You take away from us that which we hold most dear, and you tell us to love you anyway. You let us suffer and tell us, "I told you so." What kind of God are you? Surely you aren't out to win us with gifts! You don't guarantee protection from the enemy, or comfort in this world. You have made all those things look weak and selfish. You keep telling us that there is more to you than these things.
Lord Jesus Christ, lover of the Father, you are his spirit incarnate. You love like him, and then you tell us to love like you. You offer no prize, no certainty at the end of our time, except yourself with the heavenly Father. Even the resurrection is but a promise. But it is your promise.
Be with us, Lord, as we suffer for you, and with you. Remind us of your words, and fill us with such a measure of your love that no enemy can do more than simply end our lives on earth. Amen.
"If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world -- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them."
COMMENTARY
It is easy to suppose from this text that we ought to expect the world to hate us, and if it doesn't, to do something offensive enough to make sure that it happens. Christ doesn't ask us to make the world hate us, but rather, not to be surprised if it happens. Persecution, like suffering, is not something necessary to bring upon oneself. It comes, and it comes without cause.
When the hour of persecution comes, we are neither called upon to resist nor to despair, but to remember that this is to be expected, and that it also happened to the Christ. What is most difficult for us to handle is to receive persecution from the hands of someone committed to God, who believes that the hardship or suffering inflicted upon us is service to the Almighty.
PRAYER
Lord, persecution from believers is far more painful than anything the world can dish out to us. We expect the people of the world to resist you and us, but to receive rejection or ridicule or offense from sincere people is like being rejected by one's family. How can you afford to have a divided house? How can you expect us to bear the indignity of pious people's wrath? We are not as strong as you.
Lord, we have all felt exactly what you told us was coming. We know what it's like to be quietly ignored, dismissed as eccentric, labeled as simplistic. We have felt a little of this kind of wrath, and some of us have felt a great deal of this sort of judgment. Not only is the experience disheartening, it fills us with doubt about our own loyalty to you and our own conclusions about how to be your advocate.
In this time, we dare not be intolerant of others, even if they be misguided! We believe in the rights of others, and we have been taught not to force our views on anyone. We respect everyone's personal faith journey and don't want to suggest it's missing the mark. We have personalized the faith to the point where there can be no criticism of it. We are quickly asked, "Who are you to question the content of my faith?"
So, Lord, you are done in by what is perceived as your Spirit. All claim the liberty to formulate their own belief system. We have replaced the teachings of our ancestors with our own musings. We like to think you approve of this because it feels so "spiritual." We use your own words to prove our points of view.
Lord, your word is a sharp double-edged sword. It cuts through our personal theologies like a hot swinging sabre. You slay us with words beyond our feelings. You won't let us wallow in pleasure, but you make us see how radically different you are from self-gratification.
You tell us to forgive, when forgiveness is impossible. You tell us to give, when we think we have already done more than our share. You take away from us that which we hold most dear, and you tell us to love you anyway. You let us suffer and tell us, "I told you so." What kind of God are you? Surely you aren't out to win us with gifts! You don't guarantee protection from the enemy, or comfort in this world. You have made all those things look weak and selfish. You keep telling us that there is more to you than these things.
Lord Jesus Christ, lover of the Father, you are his spirit incarnate. You love like him, and then you tell us to love like you. You offer no prize, no certainty at the end of our time, except yourself with the heavenly Father. Even the resurrection is but a promise. But it is your promise.
Be with us, Lord, as we suffer for you, and with you. Remind us of your words, and fill us with such a measure of your love that no enemy can do more than simply end our lives on earth. Amen.
