What evil had oui* Lord done, that He should be so treated ? None, none at all. No charge could be brought against His life : He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, — His days were spent in doing good. No charge could be brought against His teaching : He had proved it to be agreeable to Scripture and reason, and no reply had been made to His proofs. But it mattered little how perfectly He lived or taught. He was hated.
This is human nature appearing in its true colors. The unconverted heart hates God, and will show its hatred whenever it dares, and has a favorable opportunity. It will persecute God's witnesses. It will dislike all who have anything of God's mind, and are renewed after His image. Why were so many of the prophets killed ? Why were the names of the apostles cast out as evil by the Jews ? Why were the early martyrs slain ? Why were John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and Ridley, and Latimer burned at the stake ? Not for any sins that they had sinned, — not for any wickedness they had committed. They all suffered because they were godly men. And human nature, unconverted, hates godly men, because it hates God.
It must never surprise true Christians if they meet with the same treatment that the Lord Jesus met with. " Marvel not if the world hate you.'' (1 John iii. 13.) It is not the utmost consistency, or the closest walk with God, that will exempt them from the enmity of the natural man. They need not torture their consciences by fancying that if they were only more faultless and consistent, every- body would surely love them. It is all a mistake.