Why do they hate me? At some point in our lives, we have probably asked that question ourselves, or have heard others asking it. That is certainly not surprising as people throughout the centuries have asked themselves that question as well.
However that question needs to be examined as very few people are honest enough to admit that they simply hate someone, and most people who are hateful look for a reason, any reason, to justify their hatred.
The reasons why people hate others are numerous and varied. However, people mainly hate others out of envy, jealousy and covetousness. They hate others for: their possessions, their appearance, their accomplishments, their talents or gifts, who they associate with, what they stand for, where they are from, who their parents are, what they have done to them; or because they do not share their beliefs, their background, because they cannot be manipulated, because they speak out against wrong doings, or simply because they are different. The list is endless.
You see, it is not difficult to find the answer. Go back to the scriptures and you will see some of the reasons. There you will see the destructiveness of envy, jealousy and covetousness. Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy. Joseph’s brothers flew into a rage and plotted to kill him but eventually sold him into slavery because he was their father’s favourite child. Joseph did nothing wrong, yet his brothers were fiercely jealous of him. Haman was thrown into a fit of apoplexy by the king’s honouring of Mordecai. Saul was envious of David as the women sang their song “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” As a result, he sought to kill him.
The prophet Daniel was hated without a cause. Read what Daniel 6:3-5 states: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” The writer of the Proverbs was dead on when he said, “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” (27:4).
Another story that stands out in the Bible was the one about John the Baptist. He was hated for speaking the truth. Anytime the truth finds expression, those who hate the truth are going to hate that expression as well. This holds true for you also. Anytime you stand up and speak the truth, or challenge the status quo, you will be hated.
If people hate you, don’t worry about it. Worry if everyone loves you. You see, if everyone loves you something is wrong because everybody did not love Jesus. Some people hated him. Why anyone could hate Jesus, who is the very epitome of love? He is love itself. All that He does for us is in love. He even loves those who hate Him. He died for them.
However, Jesus tells us why the world hated Him and why we will be hated as well. John 15:18-21 said: “If the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” John 7:7 also says, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”
You see, there are times that people will hate you for what you believe and what you stand for. Some people will hate you without cause, and will search diligently to find excuses to justify their hatred. You will be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. When people are out to get you, they will get you. They will do it at any cost; they will do whatever it takes. They did it to Jesus.
While Jesus was on earth He did all manner of good: He healed the sick, caused the blind to see, opened the ears of the deaf, fed thousands and raised the dead. He made provision for all who will to come to Him to share His riches in Heaven, to rule with Him, to experience all that is good, and have His protection from all that is evil. Yet in spite of all that, He was hated.
Jesus was slandered, spat upon, berated, hated and eventually killed. Why? What did Jesus do to have them hate him so much? Take a look at some of the “evidence” suggesting Jesus’ shared culpability:
• Jesus called them names. He called them “hypocrites,” (Matt. 23:13, 14). He called them “fools” and “blind” (Matt. 23:19).
• Jesus did things, knowing they would aggravate them, such as healing on the Sabbath and not ceremonially washing before eating – things he could have easily avoided had he been so inclined.
• He consorted with people, generally considered inappropriate in that day in time, such as Samaritans, lepers and tax collectors thus bearing a perceived taint from their sins.
• He publicly challenged their teaching, authority and power thus forcing the Pharisees’ hand to either comply or attack.
• He claimed that he was the Messiah. That He was the son of God.
You see, Jesus stood for something. What do you stand for? Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and your heroes and heroines stood for what they believed in. What are you standing for? When you stand for what you believe, expect attacks and even hatred. People will find all manner of evil to do to you: they will slander you, victimize you, side-line you, demote you, ostracize you. You name it! But that’s ok. Normally, the people who usually do these things to you are those who have some sort of power or authority. It was not different in those days. If you follow this hate expressed towards Jesus, and recorded in the gospels, you will discover that it is centered primarily on the religious leadership, the powerful and those on top of society.
When Jesus came on the scene, the Pharisees were used to being held in high esteem. They were used to being the last word on religious matters and seldom – if ever – were challenged on their opinions. Sure, they would challenge each other. The Pharisees would challenge the Sadducees on the resurrection of the dead and they might argue amongst themselves on the subject of when a man might divorce. However, the average lay person – the unschooled – would not dare challenge the Pharisees on religious matters.
It is helpful to keep in mind that Jesus was not the first challenge to their religious supremacy. John the Baptist was the first to condemn the Pharisees. Imagine their surprise when this wild man said to them, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” (Matt. 3:7-8). When the ministry of Jesus quickly followed on the heels of John’s, the Pharisees were in no mood to be challenged.
The Gospels point out that there was an increase of animosity over Jesus’ three and a half year ministry culminating in the crucifixion. Throughout His earthly ministry, people rejected Jesus to the point of hate. This hate built up into rage which ultimately culminated in his execution. Psalm 69:4 states, “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. ”Jesus quoted Psalm 109:3 in John 15:25 concerning Himself: “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause.”
The more popular Jesus became, the more the Pharisees tried to stop him. The more people talked about Jesus, the more they tried to find some flaw in his theology or his practice. Ultimately, finding no flaw in Jesus, they found their answer in political intrigue, false witness and scheming. His superiority was his execution order. Who was Jesus to criticise and correct them? Jesus held none of the requisite “degrees in divinity” from their schools. He was loathsome to them. They hated Jesus because of their pride and its accompanying symptom – jealousy. Even Pilate knew that the chief priests had delivered him out of envy.
They hated Jesus’ goodness, and therefore wanted to find fault in Him. The world is filled with such people today who seek to justify their hatred. We work beside them in the workplace. We meet them in public. We even find them in our churches. They hate without a cause! But should that stop us from doing what is right or stand up for what we believe? The answer is a resounding NO. We need to stand up for what is right and just. We need to stand up regardless of who it may be. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It is time for us to stand up against the ills of society and go against the status quo. If you don’t stand up for what you believe in, who will? Jesus did! Are you willing to? That’s the question we all must answer? The choice is yours. Choose wisely!
