Friends, today’s Gospel balances our Easter joy with the warning of danger from a society opposed to God: “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.”
It
is altogether appropriate that, during this Easter season, we rejoice.
The Lord is risen; he is truly risen. Jesus Christ is Lord, God is King,
and sin and death have been defeated. All of that is true and remains
centrally important during this season.
At
the same time, we must not succumb to a “cheap grace” interpretation of
Christianity, whereby Christ is risen and all is well. As Julian of
Norwich said, “All will be well, all manner of things will be well.”
Notice the future tense. The definitive battle has been won, but the war
continues. The struggle is ongoing.
Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. 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. 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. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."
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