“We Will Be Hated by the World Since We Have Been Chosen by Christ 因著我們已被基督揀選,我們必被世人恨惡“(John 約翰福音15:18-19)
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
如果世人恨你們,你們要知道他們在恨你們以先,已經恨我了。你們若屬於這世界,世人必定愛屬自己的;但因為你們不屬於世界,而是我從世界中揀選了你們,所以世人就恨你們。
While Lord Jesus was with His disciples, they were often opposed. He attracted attention from great multitudes and devotion from individuals of all kinds; yet as a whole, the world hated Him. He told them that the world would often hate them and they should expect to be rejected when He departed. We, as Christians/Jesus’ disciples, being not of the world explains why the world would hate us. It is also a factual description of us that in many ways we should be different than the world. The world’s hatred should be exhilarating, as being an evidence and guarantee that we have been chosen by Christ.
當主耶穌與祂的門徒在一起時,他們往往遭受反對。祂吸引了眾多人群的注意,並各式各樣個人的委身;然而,總的來說,世人恨惡祂。祂對他們說,世人往往會恨惡他們,而祂離開時他們理應預期會被拒絕。我們作為基督徒/耶穌的門徒不屬於世界,解釋了為什麼世人會恨惡我們,這也是對我們的真實描述,我們理應在許多方面與世人不同。世人的恨惡理應叫人歡喜,因為這是我們已被基督揀選的憑據和保證。
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, the world is glad to forget the Triune God: You came to bring mankind back to Him. Through the centuries we have known the hatred of the world, and millions of Christians have died for your sake. Thank you for reminding us not to be loved by the world as its own. Thus we can be worthy of you. May your love and resurrecting power sustain us empowering us to persevere to the end. Amen.
禱告: 親愛的主耶穌,世人樂於忘記三一神:你來了是為要把人帶回祂那裡去。歷世紀以來,我們已曉得世人的恨惡,而數以百萬計的基督徒為你的緣故死了。感謝你提醒我們,不要被世界所愛如屬它自己的,因此,我們才能夠配得屬你的。願你的愛和復活的大能維持我們,使我們有力量堅持不懈到底。阿們。