Not Being Surprised - Jeremy Thom

While we have been going through our teaching series, “Love Made Visible”, on Sunday mornings, our Men’s and Women’s Communities have been working their way through the New Testament letter of I John. This letter that John wrote to be passed around among all the churches, reminds us that we are children of God and that we are called to resemble our Father, especially when it comes to loving one another.

Loving others sounds great. It rolls off the tongue easily and paints an ideal picture. We want to love others as Christ loves us, and we will love others, all the time, starting today! But the reality that we all would admit is that loving others is not as easy as it sounds and we don’t choose love as often as we would like too. Why is that?

This week in Men’s Community, as we were reading and discussing I John 3, there was a phrase that really struck me. John writes, “So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if (that) the world hates you.” (I John 3:13, NLT) I’ll let you go back and read the full context of this verse, but basically this statement follows another instruction to love one another. 

Love one another and don’t be surprised when you are hated. But, why would I be hated if I am loving people? Well, I actually don’t think that the “why” is the point in this particular passage, I think the point is to know that it will happen. Which brings me to one realization…one of the reasons (probably one of many) that I don’t love others well is because I often find myself surprised, or even scared, by others.

Have you ever done a deep dive watching videos on social media with people surprising their colleagues, friends, or family? Ya, neither have I…but the person getting surprised often jumps and screams and distorts their face and body, then they yell at the person surprising them and move into retaliation mode. But some folks have the ability to laugh and joke after being surprised. While still others have the ability to not react at all because they knew what was coming.

How do you react when you are surprised?

Not-being-surprised doesn’t mean that we condone or accept all behaviors. It doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t sadden us. It doesn’t mean that we don’t use discipline in parenting, or that we don’t encourage brothers and sisters in Christ to move back towards Jesus. Not-being-surprised simply allows us the space to love others in the moment that we are called to love them.

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another….Do not be surprised, brothers (and sisters), that the world hates you.” (I John 3:11,13; ESV)

Don’t be surprised, just love one another as Christ has loved, and does love, each one of us. May we continue to grow as a community, loving each other, and loving others, even in the midst of the surprises that probably shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

 

Jeremy Thom 
Campus Pastor | Hope City Church