“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
“The favourites and heirs of heaven have never been the darlings of this world, since the old enmity was put between the seed of the woman and of the serpent.” (Matthew Henry) For example, why did Cain hate Abel? Because his works were more righteous than his (Gen 4:3-8). Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing Jacob received (Gen 27:41); Joseph’s brothers hated him because his father loved him more than them (Gen 37:3-4); Saul hated David because the Lord was with him more than with him (1 Sam 18:6-12); and Ahab hated Micaiah because of his prophecies (1 Kings 22:8). These are some of the reasons for the world’s hatred.
Genesis 4:3-8 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Genesis 27:41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Genesis 37:3-4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
1 Samuel 18:6-12 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.
1 Kings 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can enquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.
The world has always been in the hating business. When Jesus says “if the worlds hates you” He is not implying that there is any doubt in the matter. On the contrary, the world will most certainly hate them, but when that happens, He wants them to know the reason for its hatred and to realize that what is happening to them is nothing new.
He told them that the world hated Him first so it will also hate them. Maclaren says that “If we share Christ’s life, we must, necessarily, in some measure, share His fate.”
Morris wryly observes that “It is not without its significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.”
What about you? Which are you known by?