In the early days of the Promise Keepers movement, that eminent paragon of impartial and fair reporting, the Los Angeles Times, produced a front page article on the movement.  Better than half the article was devoted to an interview with a professor of sociology from California State University, Northridge.  In her interview, the good professor set forth how all of the publicly announced principles of the movement were merely cover for increased wife beating.  She had calculated--to a tenth of a percent--the increase in domestic violence which would certainly arrive if the authorities did not take prompt action against this dangerous movement.
The article appeared on Saturday.  I remember how furious the women of our Bible Fellowship class--most of whom had husbands who were Promise Keepers--were about this piece of libel.  (The male reaction was more along the lines of incredulous humor.)  What perturbed them most was the blithe way in which the Times "knew" that all the literature, statements and preaching of this movement were simply code words to hide the conspiracy to beat women.  Since they were the women in question, we may presume they knew what they were talking about.  The Times certainly didn't.
The surprising thing is that they were surprised.  Christians are frequently astonished at the venom and hatred they receive from the world around them.  They shouldn't be.  Our Lord in this passage makes it clear that this is going to happen, and he explains why.

• There are two competing systems out there:  God's, and Satan's (also known as the world's system).
  
• The world's system hates God, hates Christ and has no hesitation about lying about it.  Their end justifies their means.
  
• You, if you are a Christian, are the visible target of the world's system.  If they hate God;  if they crucified Jesus Christ, what chance do you have of being loved and understood?
  
• The war is conducted one soul at a time.  If they will turn and love God, loving you and obeying Christ's teaching will come naturally.