“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).
Our Lord contrasts the mutual love believers must have toward each other with the hatred they should expect from a sin-infested worldly system. Genuine believers shouldn’t expect cheap applause from the world. However, the hostility without must be counteracted by the hospitality within. Our love for each other is a cure for the hurts the enemy inflicts upon us. That’s why it’s quite dangerous for believers not to walk in love toward one another. It leaves them vulnerable to the malicious gibes and jeers of a crooked generation. That’s why also the Lord would always dispatch the disciples to missions in pairs. Compare how Paul and Silas withstood unjust treatment through their mutual support (Ac 16:25). See also how Paul pleads for the return of his ministry partners (see 2 Tim 4:9-11). Don’t underestimate the value and power of God’s love in your life and among those around you.
Pastor Josh