What do you deserve from other people?

You know what it’s like to be wronged by other people. John’s letter is written to a church who feel wronged.

That’s how our reading starts today:

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

And by “the world” he doesn’t just mean people “out there.” Distant people. people you don’t know.

Immediately before, John’s just reminded his readers of Cain and Abel. The very first murder.

Two brothers. Both members of the same church. Both came before God to make an offering.

But Cain—whose name means “achiever”—made his offering from his own works and righteousness. His offering was not accepted.

While Abel—whose name means “vapour” or “nothing”—made his offering from sheer trust in God’s promise, from faith. His offering was accepted.

Cain was filled with jealousy. He felt he’d been wronged. That he’d been robbed of something he deserved. And therefore justified in making Abel pay.

You and I are just the same. Feeling disappointment, or seeing the success of others, so quickly evolves into resentment.

John’s writing his letter because a church has been hurt, by other Christians who turned from the Gospel.

And attacked them—and when you’re attacked inside the church, it feels like Cain and Abel all over again.

John says three things:

1) Hatred takes what I think I deserve (vv. 13-15)
2) Love gives what I see others need (vv. 16b-18)
3) Jesus has given you what you don’t deserve (v. 16a)

So first, 1) Hatred takes what I think I deserve

The contrast between love and hatred is one of John’s biggest themes.

Please look at vv. 13-14:

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

John opened his letter saying he and the apostles had touched the word of life. This life was manifest and they’d seen it. And they have proclaimed this life to us.

This life is Jesus. He is the Word of God.

And this life is ours simply because we look at Jesus, see that he has done everything for us, and so, like Abel, see and trust he has done everything for me.

You cannot achieve anything. You cannot earn or obtain anything. You are—like Abel—vapour, nothing, dependent.

So, John says, don’t be surprised when others shaped by the world hate you. In fact: expect it. Because worldly thinking is the opposite of being like Abel.

It is to think
“But I am an achiever.”
“I will prove myself.”
“I will make something of myself.”
or “I will make the decision for God that others won’t.”

But when a Cain-thinker like that sees someone like you… they see you live by nothing except pure trust, living as though God accepts you even though you have nothing in yourself that could make you acceptable… then they feel frustrated, and jealous, and want you to stop it.

They want you to have to earn it too.

After all… they think they’re acceptable because of themself. So, you should only be acceptable because of yourself.

Don’t be surprised when people like that hate you, John says. But also, John goes on to say be cautious. Look at v. 15:

¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

John now deliberately shifts language from “the world” to “everyone”, because this statement applies to all of us: Hatred takes what I think I deserve

Because hatred, jealousy, and wanting to make yourself acceptable are not just errors other people make.

You hear the need to love your brother, and instantly start listing ways in your mind you do that.

You hear the warning against hating others, and immediately think of the ways you’ve been mistreated, and narrating to yourself how you’re this noble victim who’s been so wronged and taken everything so well.

And your mind can’t help think of how you deserve to take back what’s been wrongly taken from you.

Just like Cain—Mr Achiever—we want what we think we’re owed. We want it back. And if I’m the achiever, then I can’t trust God to give it. I have to take it for myself.

This, John explains in many ways, is hatred. And love is its opposite. That’s his second point:

2) Love gives what I see others need

Let’s jump in at the middle of v. 16. Look there with me:

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Self-preservation is the most basic of human instincts. And that’s what drove Cain’s hatred of his brother Abel.

“I need to be accepted. I wasn’t. Abel was accepted. So Abel has what’s rightfully mine, and I need to take it.”

But love is the 180 degree inversion of this.

“This other person needs something. I have it. I better give it to him or her so that they’re not in need.”

This is what truly good works are: performed not for yourself, but for others.

This is who you are and what you are called to in Christ. This is the person God has made you in your baptism: A person who lives not for yourself and your needs, but others.

This week I’ve sat with several of us, outlining this life of love. And I know you want it. You want to be like this.

But at the same time, you know that you’re not. Like me—you’re a failure. Selfish. Thinking of yourself. Wanting to create the appearance of love, but in reality thinking constantly of your own needs, wants, and comforts.

Well, what’s the third thing John says?

3) Jesus has given you what you don’t deserve

Look again at v. 16:

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,

But how do we know he laid down his life for us? Because he laid down his life for everyone.

So you’re not unworthy. You’re not too weak. You don’t have to do something to be worthy of it.

John does not first say, “You must lay down your life.” He says, “He laid down his life for us.”

That is how we know love. Not by looking at our own love. Not by measuring our generosity. Not by asking whether we have opened our hearts enough.

We know love by looking at Jesus.

Cain looked at his brother and took. Jesus looked at you and gave.

Cain saw someone who had what he wanted. Jesus saw you in your need and gave himself.

Cain made his brother pay. Jesus paid for you.

And he laid down his life—God became man and died—so that you could have eternal life. And that eternal life is knowing Jesus.

In chapter 5 verse 11 John will say:

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

Jesus died for everyone’s sin. So, he died for your sin. Eternal life is simply to trust and confess this.

So look at Jesus. What do you see?

Because if he died for you—then you have passed from death into life.

Take heart: because he died for you. But, don’t take my word for it: Look at him.

And because he achieved it for you: You cannot achieve anything. You cannot earn or obtain anything. There is no space, no room, for Mr Achiever, for Cain.

You are—like Abel—vapour, nothing, dependent. But that’s exactly why you’re accepted.

What do you deserve from other people?

I also have struggles. I’ve been wronged. And I find it hard not to constantly think about it, and be bothered by it.

Why? Because part of me still is, and until I die will always be: Mr Achiever. Mr Cain.

I see something has been taken from me. I struggle to trust God to deal with it. So, I want to take it back for myself.

But in reality, taking things into my own hands to get back what I think is mine is hatred. Because Hatred takes what I think I deserve

But don’t sit there and judge me, because: You think like that too. You’re struggling with that too. The need to “fix it yourself”, “get back what’s yours”, “take matters into your own hands”.

But Love gives what I see others need

It’s generous. It’s compassionate. It empathises. It doesn’t strategise, or give to get. It just wants to help.

But how many of my acts are tainted with selfishness? All of them. That’s the fact. Because by nature I am not love. I’m evil and self-centred.

But God isn’t, because Jesus has given you what you don’t deserve

Look at him. Look at what he’s done. Look at what he’s given. He did it for everyone. He did it for you. Why? Because he loves you. And he knows you need it.

And he wants to distribute it to you. He wants you to receive it. So, let’s ask God for his grace and every need in prayer. And let’s come to the Sacrament to receive his gifts.