Sheep Among Wolves

May 17

Read: 1 John 3:11-24

Sheep Among Wolves

“Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you.” (v.13)

I think most people are still shocked when they come face to face with the abject hate of one person to another. We don’t normally see it in its ugliest forms, so it catches us off guard. In short, it is not what we expect. The scriptures say as much when we - as God’s people - are warned that we should not “be surprised that the world hates us”. It is worth pointing out that “the world” here in 1 John is used to describe a certain subset of creation. (Look back on 1 John 2:15-17 for a description.) We need to be reminded that “the world” rejected Christ. That those who are dead in their trespasses and sins “love the dark and hate the light”. ( cf. John 3:19-20) Therefore, we should not be “surprised”.

More often than not, we presume that the rest of the world views things the same way that we do. We have a hard time processing the truth that is not at all the case. I had a conversation with my aunt Judy a month ago where we were talking about how the elderly are treated in our culture. (Often times poorly, and with disregard, even abused in many cases.) It is so foreign for us as Christ followers to think of treating another image bearer this way, and yet for many it is common place. We are “surprised” that someone who HATE the life of someone else and treat them that way. If we pause for a moment though, we realize that this is a natural outworking of living in the “dark”. If you are deceived into thinking that humans are an evolutionary “accident” that has come about by chance over time and that the goal is the survival of those who are the most fit, then how do you view the treatment of the elderly? What if you think that value of life is not inherent, but rather comes about as a byproduct of utility in society… with some sort of “social contract”. What do you do then when a person loses “utility” and can no longer hold up their part of the contract? We should not be surprised when “the world” hates the “lite of Christ” when it shows up in us as people or in our values as Christians.

There is a concerted global effort to war against Christ and his people. Sin, brokenness, the Devil, and those who remain dead in their trespasses and sins under the influence of their flesh and Satan, HATE the light and life of Christ. You will never please “the world” or the people of “the world” and please Christ. Satan’s goal is ALWAYS destruction when it comes to humans. He comes only to “steal and kill, and destroy”. (cf. John 10:10) There are those who KNOWINGLY seek to destroy life. They work for the enemy whether they know it or not. “Do not be surprised” when this comes to the surface. Jesus has this to say to us: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) Jesus prays this prayer to the Father o our behalf: “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.(John 17:14-17) Jesus has set us apart as his people. He is keeping us from the evil one. We are bearers of the truth and word of God. We are searching for those people that God is calling to himself. We go out like a “sheep among wolves”. (Matt. 10:16) Do not expect the wolves to love you, or embrace you, or leave you alone for that matter. The wolves have no love for the sheep - they want only to devour them. “Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you,” but be encouraged that CHRIST LOVES YOU and dwells in you along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Love you guys! - JDP