Love Hate Relationship

Gospel: John 15: 18-21

Jesus went about from town to town healing people of their illnesses, freeing them from the demons that oppress them, and feeding them at table.  He invited people to repentance and to a new way of life that involves mercy and loving kindness toward others.  All of these are objectively good actions with objectively good outcomes for everyone involved.  Yet, the world hated Jesus and put him to death for these actions, and we are left to wonder why.

The answer is simple.  The world of the wealthy need people to remain in bondage to their illnesses, poverty, and their demons.  They need the poor to feel dependent on them and in a place where they are unable to rise up against the wealthy.  It would require the rich to share their resources with others in a way that makes others independent and flourishing.  They are more than willing to help in a way that keeps people dependent on them.

So the world hated Jesus.  Jesus invited us to follow him in his ministry of healing, liberation, and feeding. If we are faithful to that invitation the world will hate us as well.  Perhaps this is why we create Christian theologies and institutions that prefer war to peace, institutions that are merely tools of the world. The authentic way of the Gospel is one where we love others without qualification, and where we receive the hate of the world for this love.