If you didn’t know the story, you’d assume this man was worse than a killer. But you’d be wrong. This was Jesus. All he did was preach, teach, heal the sick, raise the dead, and feed the hungry. So why the hatred?
Hmmm. I used to think the tendency to hate a good person or resent one who excels was peculiar to my own surroundings, to Ghana. But Easter reminds us that this is simply human nature. The tragedy is this: the average good person is often naive.
They think, “Because I mean no harm, no one will harm me.” They are unprepared for the hatred that excellence inevitably attracts.
But "Human nature is such that people cannot stand the one who stands out." If they have the chance, they will do whatever they can to destroy or minimize that person's impact.
This is why Jesus urged us to be "as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves." This is a call to shed our naivety.
In addition to shedding naivety, the good news also is that a good person can never be truly destroyed. Your enemies can get you dismissed; they can get you in trouble and disgrace you; they may try to show you "where power lies’’ but they will not have the final word!
Sometimes, you actually need your enemies to "succeed" against you to reach the breakthrough you are destined for. Joseph understood this when he told the brothers who sold him into slavery: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." And this is the central message of Easter.
So, if you have suffered betrayal, victimization, or false accusations, do not be bitter. Do not be discouraged. Your enemies always mean it for evil, but God is able to turn the worst against you into your blessing. Your breakthrough. That is a form of resurrection.
I know, because I have experienced it.
Mr. James Ebo Whyte, popularly known as Uncle Ebo White is a distinguished Ghanaian playwright, author, and motivational speaker. He is the artistic director and lead writer at Roverman Productions, where he has been writing and directing plays since 2008. Uncle Ebo White occassionally shares thought-provoking opinion on national issues on his Facebook wall.
