There is a Murphy's Law that says, "No good deed goes
unpunished." Jesus was crucified for His love and troubles, so we
shouldn't wonder if someone forgets to show gratitude or, worse yet,
misinterprets our kindness.
The Creator is the Causeless Cause, but the world has its
causeless causes for hating. Joseph's brothers hated him because their father
loved him; Cain hated Abel enough to kill him because Abel's sacrifice was more
acceptable; Saul hated David because of David's goodness; Esau hated Jacob
because of the lost blessing (which was a tradeoff, anyway; Esau asked a
question many ask at sometime in life, "What good is the birthright to
me?"). The causeless causes go on and on.
There was absolutely no justification for the hate and
belligerence toward this Man of peace who gave only tenderness and service.
"For which of these...do you stone me? For the miracles of healing? For
saving you and not Myself? For My truth? For simplifying your laws? For being
born in a manger instead of a mansion? For being a carpenter instead of an
architect? For making your darkness light and making your burdens lighter? For
forgiving your ignorance? To die that sinners might live? Tell Me, for which of
these do you hate Me?"
Is the lesson we learn here that man just naturally hates
goodness? Is it that we are so blinded from the darkness that we cannot stand
the Light? Pitiful! What may be worse than hating Him is to ignore Him.
Indifference must hurt Jesus even more than outright hate: "Because you
are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my
mouth" (Revelation 3:16). He would rather we have a backbone of endurance
and a jawbone of profession than be of none effect at all. And one sure sign of
effectiveness is: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me
first" (John 15:18). "As he is, so are we in this world" (1 John
4:17 RSV).
Patricia Erwin Nordman
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