Hated For His Sake
By: Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´
Have you been harassed or defamed for being a Christian? Has it left you feeling baffled?
Mark 14 gives us a very detailed account of what happened after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many bore false witness against Jesus in front of the high priest and the council. They twisted what he did say and completely fabricated other things they claimed that He had said. The Gospel of Mark says that the Pharisees were trying to find testimonies against Jesus but were not able to find any. The lies about Jesus weren’t even consistent. This was obviously a malicious sham court.
Jesus told us that we would be hated for His sake. It’s not a matter of “if” but of “when.” When this happens, our first reaction can be to get upset. Then, we start analyzing the situation over and over again. But what’s the point if we know we haven’t done anything wrong? There is no rhyme or reason for this hatred.
Those who are of darkness hate those who are of the light. I know it’s easy to take it personally. It feels personal. I remember back in high school being hated by some unbelievers. I didn’t even say much of anything to them but they went out of their way to insult me. I learned eventually that it wasn’t really me that they were insulting. That doesn’t change the fact that it hurts when we are hurt for Jesus sake. But remembering this can bring back the joy a lot quicker the next time you get snubbed by an acquaintance who thinks that you are entirely too religious for their taste.
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Tuesday, 01 November 2016.
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