Bible Reading: Genesis 36,37,38; Matthew 10:22-42.
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22 (KJV)
I have often wondered each time I went out for evangelism and encountered people who are mean, no matter how pleasantly you approach them, what and how Jesus felt when He was attacked by the same people He created and was trying to save! It baffles me until I recalled that before I became a Christian too, I didn’t always receive the brothers and sisters who approached me warmly. I was not mean, but not friendly on some occasions . Their words sounded strange.
As long as you have the Word of God inside you, you are set to have a clash with the system in place in this world. The world already has its own way of doing things. Just as Jesus came with the Kingdom message asking people to change their minds, you whose mind has been changed, is expected to follow after Jesus, asking and teaching people to come into the Kingdom.
The Devil does not find it amusing whenever the Word enters into and changed a person. It signifies a loss to the Kingdom of darkness. So he tries to keep people forever blindfolded so as not to see the glorious light in the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). One way he uses to stop the entrance of the Word in people’s lives is to go all out attacking carriers of such word in the world. Jesus, even though was the Son of God, and the Word Himself, was attacked while He was here on earth by Satan through different means.
As followers of Jesus, we would encounter same too, just as the Master said in Matthew 10:22 (KJV), “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” If Jesus was hated by men, even though He came to save these same men, be reminded that you will be hated too. But why did Jesus come? What kept Him going? Why should you continue to talk to people who don’t want to see you?
The Father loves man. John 3:16 (KJV), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus continued till the end because He shared the same love with His Father who does not want to see any destroyed.
If you love God, you would love souls. Jesus asked Peter in John 22:15-17, “…do you love Me? If you love Jesus, you will go all out for the Kingdom after souls, hatred by men notwithstanding, because God does not want any soul to perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Whenever you encounter some unpleasant situation while on Kingdom business, kindly look on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and ask for grace to complete your assignment (Hebrews 12:2).
Bro. Worthmore Aghanenu
