You Are Not of the World

This I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. (John 15:17-19)

Someone recently asked me advice on what to do about a person who was disrupting the unity and peace that was being sought by a small group of earnest believers seeking to know God better. Of course I am no expert in such matters and like any sincere seeker after God I have to grapple with similar issues myself at times. I have also long been a bit suspicious of quick answers about such issues from people thinking they know just how to handle any situation like this. So I offered a few thoughts but have generally left the question open before God myself to see what might come to my attention.

This morning as I opened my Bible to meditate in God's presence and listen to whatever He has for me today, this situation came to my attention again as I read the above verses. Already, before I even sat down to enter into worship, I had been convicted of my own shallow relationship to Him as I was made aware through a dream that my motives for serving God are still largely rooted in selfishness and self-preservation. But that is another issue I need to explore with God myself.

What has been coming to my attention over the past few days every time I read this passage is an interesting link between two phrases that may seem apparent to some but only recently opened up to me. In my Bible I drew a pencil line between these two phrases to remind myself of this connection.

you know that it has hated Me

If you were of the world

Jesus is talking here with His disciples, men whom He already knew were going to all forsake Him in just a few short hours. He knew the shallowness of their devotion to Him and at the same time He also knew the sincerity of their desire to follow Him even though they were still mostly oblivious to the implications of nearly everything He had been teaching them about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus came and enlisted the loyalty of this group of men in helping Him spread the good news about the arrival of His new kingdom on earth. But their preconceived beliefs about the nature of this expected kingdom that should be set up by the Messiah inhibited their ability to grasp many of the things He had tried to share with them about the nature of this new kingdom.

It is all too easy to think that we are far more enlightened than these bumbling disciples who were so certain they knew the path a Messiah was supposed to follow. We are often quite confident that we have learned enough from the history of their mistakes and we have all the facts now aligned properly and can preach with confidence the revised truth about God's kingdom.

Think again! Really? How can we be so cock-sure we have it together now while the world's leading experts in religion, leaders of the chosen people of God who clearly had inherited all the knowledge that God had tried to share with this world, failed to perceive the true nature of Jesus' purpose here on earth? What underlies such assuredness that we have not fallen into the same trap of smugness based on knowledge rather than relying on a humble submission to the guidance of the Spirit of Truth that Jesus sent to guide us into all truth? Remember the original cause that plunged all humanity into the sin problem? It affects all of us like an addiction passed down to us like babies born of a cocaine addicted mother. We are pre-disposed to think that what we still need today is to eat of the Tree of Knowledge.

But as usual I have digressed a bit. I still have not gotten to the main point that I noticed in this important message from Jesus. What was one of the things we can see Jesus saying in these words to His disciples?

First, notice that Jesus explicitly states that the world hates Him. All throughout this teaching Jesus speaks of an existing animosity between God and what He calls the world, all those who resist or reject the true nature of His new kingdom and its King. Also throughout this passage He makes it explicitly clear what the core of this new kingdom looks like. We see it clearly in verse 17 – love for one another.

What I see Jesus implying in these verses is in a way a prophecy about His disciples if we choose to view it that way. It might make more sense to us if we saw this as Jesus believing in them even when there was little to no evidence yet of the reality of what was being believed. That is another subject that amazes me – the enormous faith that God has in all of us sinners. We have too often been distracted from the real issue by thinking that faith is something we have to work up ourselves in order to engage in the process of the salvation provided by God. But in reality what I am starting to see is that like love, faith has to be awakened as a reflection or response to a pre-existing faith about us from an outside source. When we begin to really grasp and appreciate how much faith God is exercising toward sinners and how He demonstrates that faith in actions, only then can genuine faith begin to awaken in our hearts that can then prove useful for the saving of our own souls.

But back again to the main point. When Jesus speaks to His disciples here using the words, if you were of the world, what He is also saying is that, contrary to even what appeared to be obvious evidence about to emerge by all of them forsaking of Him during His greatest time of need, He was confident that they were not the same in heart as those around them who hated Him.

Don't lose sight of the fact that Jesus is speaking to men who are very deluded about their own true condition. They have increasingly been caught arguing about who was the greatest among them. But even the real meaning of that fact is missed by most of us for its true significance. These were not just arguments about who was the best or should have the highest places in the assumed coming kingdom they expected Jesus to set up; this was really more about which of them should be considered as the most loyal to Jesus. Loyalty was the real issue of contention and competition between these men more than ability or skills. All of them wanted to be seen as the most fiercely loyal to Jesus above all the others, for they were immersed in the same false belief that so many of us are caught up in – the assumption that God operates on the principles of reward and punishment. But these principles were introduced by another author of such notions, the great rebel himself who lived for a time in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

When we view these events from this perspective, it becomes easier to see why the disciples did many of the things they did that don't make a lot of sense in another context. During this time in the upper room when Jesus asked if they had a sword, two of them instantly responded in the affirmative. Why this eager response to Jesus' query? Because having a physical weapon in their mind was a sure sign of greater loyalty than those who weren't carrying concealed weapons. Likewise, when Peter reacted to the threats of the mob later in the Garden of Gethsemane by whipping out his 'sword' (more likely a fisherman's long dagger) and trying to fend off anyone viewed as a threat to His leader, he was acting that way to prove to all who might be watching that he was the most loyal disciple and had the most bravery under stress.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. The whole mindset of all the disciples during this time was an obsession with wanting to be seen as the most loyal to the Messiah. And why was this such an obsession for all of them? Because, based on their vested beliefs in the principle of rewards and/or punishment, they were confident that the more they could prove their loyalty to Jesus the greater would be their reward after all the fighting subsided and they would emerge as the winners.

It is vital that we take time to temporarily lay aside our context of knowing how different things looked to Jesus than what was going on in the psyche of all the disciples if we want to begin to grasp why they were so dull and acted so seemingly ignorant at times. We seem amazed how Jesus could so plainly speaking of His impending death and suffering and yet have all of it fall on deaf ears when it came to the disciples paying any attention. But our very amazement betrays a similar condition in our own hearts that we must take note of if we hope to avoid a similar reaction during our own times of testing.

So, what does this have to do with my friend's dilemma with a man who is disruptive in their small study group? And does this have anything to say to my shame aroused by the Spirit's conviction in exposing my own connection to God not so different than that of the disciples in the Upper Room?

Well, as I have listened to the Spirit while unpacking all of this, not knowing where it would take me, I am finding myself particularly encouraged by these things. Even though I am starting to see a little more clearly how shallow my own love and loyalty for God still is, I am seeing that it is God's faith about me that is what really matters, not my ability to work up either saving faith or compelling, selfless, agape love. Both of these things I have discovered are impossible for me to self-generate and the more I become frustrated with my lack of these necessary elements in my character, the more I realize my need for focusing all my hope and attention on God's faith and experiencing more intentionally God's unconditional, agape love in my own life.

But how does this apply to my friend's situation? That is not so clear to me yet, but maybe the Spirit can use this in ways I don't even know about to give her the answers she needs and the wisdom to know how to relate in the Spirit of Christ to their situation.

I do know that in this story the one disciple who continued to resist the emerging truth about the kind of kingdom Jesus was introducing had just dismissed himself by that time and was no longer present to hear all of these key insights being shared by Jesus. What compelled him to leave the presence of Jesus and disconnect from participating in what the rest of the group were now enjoying?

It was one of the most overwhelming acts of love committed by Jesus that still disturbs many Christians even today when they begin to sense the implications of His act. When Jesus humbled Himself in unconditional love for Judas by washing his dirty feet like a slave was expected to do, all the while refusing to expose Judas publicly for his calculated plans to betray Jesus; this deliberate, in-your-face intense level of kindness drove Judas right out of the presence of the greatest Lover ever to walk this earth.

True love is a polarizing force that compels people to take sides. The more intense the love the more open the polarization becomes. And while the other disciples were still ignorant of their own shallowness of loyalty to Jesus, Judas, by choosing to reject the last plea directed to his heart from the heart of His Master, destroyed the last bit of capacity within himself to even be able to respond to love ever again. It was not Jesus that condemned Judas and compelled him to commit suicide later in the story; rather it was the natural reaction of an inner self-inflicted condemnation that drove Judas to desire death more than the shame of living with an awareness of his own lost sordid character.

What does this teach us about how to deal with those who are disruptive, who seem to challenge everything we try to teach them, who seem bent on attacking, criticizing or discounting everything we cherish as valuable?

First, I believe we must be extremely cautious as to how to respond to such people. If we had been observers of the disciples and the way they behaved while not knowing the outcome of the story the way we now know, we would have most likely come to the consensus that Judas was not the one Jesus was speaking of when He said He already knew who would betray Him. From all outward appearances, Judas was considered more loyal than most of the other disciples. He had been very adept at keeping up appearances and 'spinning the media' to manicure his reputation. He embraced the same principles of reputation management that is so pervasive around us today and that infects too much of our thinking.

But it is human to look on the outward appearance while God looks far past this into the deep recesses of the heart. And while it might have seemed obvious that it was Peter, or maybe hot-headed John, or maybe even Simon the Zealot who still possibly harbored a secret desire to kill off Matthew the tax-collector/traitor, Jesus knew that it was one who was sitting very close to Him who was still resisting the most the love with which He was drawing all His disciples. Yet even then, Jesus refused to withdraw His own love but instead did just the opposite; He turned up the intensity of love by doing everything possible one last time to elicit a positive response from Judas if at all possible.

So, was Judas of the world? Did Judas hate Jesus? Is that why he betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver to the enemies? Was it hatred of Jesus or something else that drove Judas to such a horrific crime?

Ironically, Judas actually crafted a whole scenario in his mind that if Jesus could somehow be forced into a corner emotionally that He would finally agree to resort to using His supernatural powers to save Himself and His disciples. Then the great war of liberation from the tyranny of Rome that all the Jews were expectantly awaiting could finally be launched and the aspirations of the Jews could finally be realized. Judas had repeatedly tried to get Jesus to assume the throne of Israel for several years, but each time Jesus had thwarted his plans causing Judas to take offense. Finally Judas decided that he would have to resort to something more drastic, like setting up a clever scheme to force Jesus to resort to using force Himself. Then when the dust settled and it was all over, Jesus would thank Judas for being so brilliant as to contrive a way to help get Him past His timidity and finally assert His rights as the true Messiah. That was the plan in the mind of Judas and he was confident that it would work out in his favor and for the benefit of all involved. If so he felt assured that his position as the greatest in the new kingdom would be secured.

But don't forget that all of the disciples shared in similar views to what Judas embraced. And although they weren't ready to go as far as Judas in putting together such a far-reaching and risky scheme to get Jesus into power, they were certain that the kingdom Jesus wanted to set up was very much like every other kingdom ruling on this world put into place relying on force. So when Jesus kept talking about suffering and death and humiliation and a cross, none of these things fit anywhere into the deeply held beliefs of the religious authorities or the common folk. So anything that didn't fit well into what was assumed to be Scripture-based beliefs they held to about the Messiah , they simply ignored in favor of everything that supported their aspirations for liberation from the tyranny of Rome.

So, what might be going on in the heart of a person today who reacts strongly against accepted views within a small group? When someone holds strong opinions that clash with our shared beliefs, how do we react to them? Do we see them as a threatening outsider? And is truth discovered by taking a popular vote to see what the majority believes? If Jesus had taken a vote in the Upper Room, even after Judas left He would have been out-voted 11 to 1 as to how He should set up His kingdom on earth.

What methods should we rely on to keep an atmosphere conducive to truth within a group of believers? How can we bring harmony to a group of people desiring to follow Jesus but having stridently different opinions about how to do that? Is it really our issue to settle every difference of doctrine between us to arrive at unity? Are we going to establish God's kingdom through winning the arguments about which of us is the greatest as far as sound doctrine is concerned? Or is there something much more important than simply resonating with those around us who agree with our views of truth?

I know that there have been stages in my life where I have been considered the disruptive one, the naysayer, the dissenter, the troublemaker, even the rebel. For many years I have disturbed other's peace by my incessant questioning of what were settled matters for everyone else in a discussion. But for me the pieces simply did not fit together like they seemed to for everyone else, and looking back I am now glad to some extent that I refused to settle for the placid, simplistic, conformist answers that were thrown my way. Because I kept asking troubling questions and longed to make more sense out of things than what others were willing to settle for, I now feel my pursuit of truth has led me to a place where I feel more fulfilled than ever as I find God daily sharing wonderful things with me that actually address many of my questions in ways that actually does make more sense. And although many who have insisted on maintaining the status quo answers still view me with suspicion, I feel more at peace with God than at any time before in my life.

I have come to realize in recent times that at any point in my experience I will likely not fit very well into certain groups. But the groups I do resonate with may likely change over time, and that is not something to get distressed about. God knows where each of us are in our journey and can provide what we need for our present requirement that will likely be different than what they were for us both in the past and in our future. That means I should not judge a group because they do not fit where I am in my journey currently; nor I should feel judged by others for the same reasons.

As a result of even my own experience, I must remember to be patient with those who seem to not fit well into groups I enjoy, who challenge others with questions, who are triggered by clichés and demand better answers than what are typically offered. But even more importantly, I must seek God's Spirit to perceive much deeper beneath the rough exterior to what is really going on at the heart level. Just recalling how desperate, fearful and defensive my own heart was for so many years as well as how calloused and insensitive others were to my need to be loved and understood, I must seek to love those who seem unlovable just as Jesus loved the one most despised by people today – His betrayer Judas.

Love itself is the most powerful polarizing influence we can use to move people. It will move them either closer to true unity or to dismiss themselves from continuing to participate. This means we do not need to be the ones who push them away, and to me that is good news. This story is the example that Jesus gave us about this through the way He dealt with His disciples. Jesus washed all of their feet, not just those of Judas. But the rest of them were humbled and softened by that stunning act of humility while Judas was pushed over the edge in the opposite direction. At first his heart was amazed at the tenderness and love he witnessed in this act of compassion by Jesus toward him. Jesus had made it quite clear publicly before this moment that He knew the plans of Judas. And yet even fully knowing all this Jesus treated Judas no differently than everyone else that He also loved just as deeply.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:3-5)

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NRSV)

As the spirit of Satan the accuser once again infected the selfish mind of Judas during that act of great condescension on the part of Jesus, his life-long beliefs about what God was like obscured and neutralized this spectacular demonstration of what God was really like, so Judas rejected Jesus as being a valid representative of the truth about God. By hardening his heart instead of allowing himself to surrender to this extreme offer of grace, Judas separated himself and left the rest of the group to listen now with unity to the secrets of the kingdom never before shared so explicitly by the Son of God.

I believe that Jesus felt it necessary to initiate this polarizing situation before opening up His heart to His disciples. It is neither right nor safe to lay your heart open to people who are not settled about their relationship to you and God, who are not committed to you to the extent of their ability. This does not mean that the disciples would always live out their loyalty to Jesus faithfully in every situation as was clearly seen just a few hours later. But we are talking about something far deeper than political loyalties here. We are speaking the language of the heart. And although we don't even know our own hearts very well, we do know from the words of Jesus as especially relayed to us by John, that love has to be the central identifying, defining core of all our relationships with each other as well as with God.

Judas rejected the kind of love that Jesus showed to him and excused himself from His presence to pursue his own agenda. Jesus even covered for him on the way out and to the end refused to expose him even after Judas had spurned His last offer. The other disciples had chosen a different response and so Jesus was then free to open up to them far deeper realities than had ever been heard before. Yes, they were still ignorant of their own shallowness and weaknesses. But at the more important level of their hearts, they had chosen to move in His direction instead of away from Him and that was the defining factor that allowed Jesus to entrust them with future leadership in His emerging kingdom on earth.

If we find someone being triggered repeatedly by some aspect of this emerging kingdom, we must not jump to conclusions too readily. I know from my own experience that emotional triggers are linked to deeply embedded lies that must be flushed into the open, exposed and dealt with effectively before those triggers can be resolved. Other people's triggers that produce reactive triggers in ourselves produce symptoms indicating that very likely etter disrupts our apparent unity with disturbing questions, it is vital for us to immediately turn to the Spirit of God to guide us and fill us with the same disposition that Jesus exhibited toward Judas. It may well become evident later on that we are not really dealing with a Judas at all but actually with a loud-mouth, disruptive Peter who is often very out of control. Remember too that Peter denied Jesus more publicly than did Judas, but the long-term outcome for Peter's usefulness in the kingdom was very different from the tragic ending of Judas' career as a disciple of Jesus.