If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.
Jesus speaks these words after commanding His disciples to love one another. He now prepares them for the hostility they will face because they belong to Him. He does not want them to be surprised or confused by rejection. He tells them plainly, “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first” (v. 18).
In this passage, “the world” does not mean the earth God created, nor does it mean every person. God created the world good, and God loves the world He desires to save (Gen. 1:31; John 3:16). In this passage, ‘the world’ means those who reject Jesus and resist the truth He reveals. It refers to unbelief hardened against God, especially when that unbelief opposes Christ and those who belong to Him.
Jesus tells the disciples that the world hates them because they ‘do not belong to the world’ (v. 19). They still live in the world, but because Jesus has chosen them ‘out of the world’ (v. 19), their understanding, desires, and hopes are now being formed by Him. Their identity is rooted in Christ rather than in the passing values of the world..
Faithful discipleship may bring opposition because the life and words of a Christian can press upon the conscience of others. A disciple who belongs to Christ bears witness that His word is true and that every person is called to conversion. This can unsettle those who do not want to receive His word or allow His truth to judge their desires, choices, and way of life. Jesus is not encouraging resentment toward others. He is preparing His disciples to remain faithful when their love for Him brings misunderstanding, rejection, or persecution.
Jesus then says, “No slave is greater than his master” (v. 20). He had spoken similar words after washing the disciples’ feet, when He taught them humility and service (John 13:16). Here the same principle is applied to suffering. The disciple follows the path of the Master. Since Jesus was rejected, His followers should not expect a life free from rejection.
At the same time, Jesus adds, “If they kept my word, they will also keep yours” (v. 20). This is important. The disciples will face persecution, but their witness will not be fruitless. Some will reject their word because they rejected Jesus’ word. Others will receive their word because they are being drawn to Christ. The Acts of the Apostles shows both realities. The apostles were opposed and punished, yet many received their preaching and came to faith (Acts 4:1-4; 5:40-42).
Jesus says this will happen “on account of my name” (v. 21). In biblical language, a person’s name points to the person himself. To suffer for Jesus’ name is to suffer because one belongs to Him, speaks in union with Him, and bears witness to Him. This same idea appears elsewhere in the New Testament, where Jesus warns that His disciples will be hated because of His name (Mt. 10:22; 24:9). Saul’s persecution of Christians before his conversion also shows this, since he acted against those who “call upon” the name of Jesus (Acts 9:14).
The deepest reason for this hostility is given at the end of the passage: “because they do not know the one who sent me” (v. 21). Jesus was sent by the Father. To reject Him is to reject the Father who sent Him. In John’s Gospel, knowing God is not merely knowing facts about God. It means receiving the Son whom the Father has sent, believing His word, and entering into communion with Him.
Jesus shows that the world’s rejection of His disciples is rooted in its rejection of Him. The disciple can have confidence because he does not face the world alone. He belongs to Christ, follows the path of the Master, and bears witness to the Father through the Son.
Lord Jesus, keep us faithful to You when Your word is welcomed and when it is resisted. Teach us to bear Your name with humility, courage, and charity, so that our lives may remain united to You and open the way for others to know the Father who sent You. Amen.
––––––––––––––
Sources and References
- New American Bible, Revised Edition. John 15:18-21 and notes on John 15:18-16:4, John 15:20, and John 15:21.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 191.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Page 426.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 976, paragraph 191.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 1163-1164.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury, 2022. Pages 1429-1430.
Comments