The Hated.

Am I ready to be hated?

It's a question I've had to ask myself a lot the past year or so. I keep asking it to myself, because I can't seem to get a straight answer out of me. Oh, I'm sure I'm ready to die, even to be tortured by people of another religion and culture who probably barely speak English and view me as this dangerous criminal against communism or Islam or some tribe's voodoo-- something dramatic like that. But am I ready to be hated by my friends at work?

Am I ready to be hated by those I love? "hated"-- in a way-- or just not understood, scoffed at, not supported, disrespected. Am I ready to stand firm when other well-meaning believers try to convince me I'm being unwise, "not a good steward," or just plain too radical? Am I willing to love that recklessly?

Am I ready to be hated?

I don't really have anything to add to Jesus' words; just not sure i'm ready . . .

Mat 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Luk 6:22-23 "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

Mat 5:44 "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Mat 10:16-25 "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. . . . Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved . . . A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Joh 15:17-20 “These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 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. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

Rom 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

2Tim 3:12 “Those who try to live a godly life because they believe in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”