John 15:18-27
The World Hates the Disciples
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are Those Who are Persecuted
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Maybe the followers of Jesus are different...Just look at how their Leader led His life...And if they are good disciples and followers they want to be like Him and lead their lives like Him...
If you believe that Christians are always loved, then go to three or four of your next door neighbors and start talking about Jesus and God...Start sharing the salt and Light from your life to others...Then make your decision on that question...And Jesus was always talking and teaching about God...
Jesus walked to the Word of God, and did God's Will...He did not settle for doing what was "normal" and what society wanted but He did the work of God...Those that don't follow society's rules often get ostracized and disliked by those who go along with what society wants and does...Maybe the world does hate Christians...Jesus was not One to conform to any society rule, if it departed from God's Will...He was a True Rebel in that regard...
Jesus said to His Disciples, that if the world hates you, they should keep in mind that the world hated Him first...If His Disciples continue to belong to the earthly world, it would love you as its own... As it was, they would follow Jesus' teachings after He resurrected, so they showed that they did not belong to the world...And that is why He chose this eleven individuals from this world...He chose and handpicked these eleven men...That is why the world would not like them, especially the old religious leaders who were much set in their own religious ways...So maybe the world did hate the Disciples and the Early Christians...They were persecuted and many put to death, and many of the first Christians expected persecution...And for three centuries the followers of Jesus were persecuted...
So let it be said that blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness and who follow Jesus' teachings for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of following Jesus...Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you they persecuted Him...