S) "20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."
John 15:20 (NASB)
O) Jesus was in the middle of a warning, that was also an encouragement. He was reminding the disciples that, if they are truly His and therefore like Him, the world will hate them, too. This in itself is a warning that continuing in His name would bring persecution. However, in this same passage He again promises the Holy Spirit to them, but also just in the verse above, He is assuring the apostles that their persecution for His sake is a sign that they are His, that they are unified with Him. If they are really His followers, the world will treat them like they treated Jesus.
A) To be clear, this warning still applies to millions of Christians very directly, whose faith in Jesus Christ puts them in harm's way. That's not the case in my country (and I thank God for that), although the culture has certainly turned from where it was, even just when I was a kid 25 years ago. I'll take some comfort in knowing that doing the right thing isn't going to be popular with the world, but if it's what Jesus would do, then it's popular with Him and I am in the same company as the apostles of Jesus. Remembering this warning is good, however, there is one more applicable part to this verse. The last line of the verse is still primarily about the world that hates Jesus, but it has a sort of inverted instruction in it. That is to say, Jesus is saying that if I want to keep His words (obey, respect, and honor His words), then I must also keep the words of His apostles. This is further evidence that the writings of the New Testament, beyond just the gospels, is authoritative.
P) Father, holy and great is Your name. You are my Protector, my Healer, my Provider, and my God. I want to worship, honor, and praise You better, God. I want to glorify You with my whole being, more consistently. I confess that I am still prone to distraction and self-worship. Help me do a better job keeping all of Your word, Lord. Help me keep the words of the Bible in mind, the instructions, the warnings, the displays of who You are. Let me focus myself more on You, even while I am doing other things. Help me to be mindful of You. Please forgive me for my sins, and let my repentance glorify Your mercy and grace. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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