Matthew 13:53 - 14:12
No one likes to experience it. Yet it happens to all of us. It can occur in an instant yet its impact can go on for years. It can happen when a guy asks a girl out for coffee. It can show up through a letter from a school you’ve applied to or a job for which you interviewed. You can experience it when you try to break into a social circle. You see how that group hangs out together and it looks like fun. You like the people in that group. You think that you’re part of it. But then you hear about a gathering that you weren’t invited to or thought of.
You can experience it when you post a picture or a thought on Facebook or when leading worship or when sharing your faith. Some experience its bitter taste within their own families when someone closest to them speaks words that pierce us.
What is it? Rejection. To reject means to refuse to accept or acknowledge; to deem wrong or inappropriate; to disbelieve; to doubt; to slight or brush aside. How do we deal with rejection? How can we continue on in our lives when we experience it? Whatever your experience with rejection, there’s one person who experienced the ultimate rejection. Infact Jesus experienced rejection throughout His life. Both Jesus and His forerunner experienced rejection. Yet Jesus’ rejection ultimately led to our salvation. So today we examine the rejection Jesus and John experienced. Though rejection from others is difficult we will look at the opportunity it presents. To reorient our lives so we are more prepared to preserver through rejection.
