Minute Meditation: Rejection

“It took courage to risk descent to a planet known for its clumsy violence, among a race known for rejecting its prophets. What more foolhardy thing could God have done?” (Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never I Knew, Harper Collins, 1995)

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:11-13 (NIV)

Rejection; it is probably one of the saddest words in the English vocabulary. It is experienced by many children in the schoolyard when teams are chosen. It is experienced in the workplace when a group decides to go out for lunch and you’re not invited. It can even be felt in the church when long established groups are found to be exclusive. Rejection is a feeling that stings long after the event and intensifies with each new experience.

Does anyone subject himself to rejection purposely? Jesus did. He came to his own people as Messiah. He was prepared to deliver the very thing they had put so much hope in. He punctuated his message with signs, extraordinary signs, following. His teaching left scholars speechless. He was everything they wanted, everything they needed, yet he was rejected. But he was more than just ignored, or left out. He was scorned, insulted, spat upon, beaten and ultimately put to death. Not only was he not received, he was cast aside.
Yet our rejection of Jesus was not the final word. In a delightful twist, he accepted us, the ones who should have been rejected. Because he has experienced the ultimate rejection, he knows how we feel. In order for us not to feel what he felt, he offers us acceptance. That is why the love of God is so marvelous. Even when we are not faithful, He is.