A friend and I took a walk, a good way to visit in person these days. Masks outdoors are not compulsory; one of us was wearing a mask, the other wasn’t. A cyclist passed by and yelled at us. The unmasked assumed she was the target but it was the masked person who was branded “COWARD!” We live in an accusatory world! A difference of opinion is cause for shrieking at a stranger. Facebook threats are common: “Share this or you are not my friend.” Any disagreement, even an independent thought, is marked hateful. People cancel organizations, ideas and people.
Reading Hebrews 2 I came across this: For this reason Jesus had to be made like them, fully human in every way. Jesus felt like we feel. Jesus was shamed; Jesus was rejected. He suffered like we suffer. His faith community in Nazareth tried to kill him. The religious leaders said they worship God but rejected Immanuel (God with us). In Jesus’ darkest hour, his star student Peter denied that he had ever even met Jesus. Jesus’ own family thought he was crazy.
Jesus was powerful; He was God! Why did he let people treat him that way? He could have called ten thousand angel warriors on the spot to serve justice!
But he didn’t. Jesus took the rejection. Why? So that by his death he might break the power of death and free those who were slaves by their fear of death. Jesus took it for us, because he loves us.
Hebrews 2 continues: Christ was made perfect, complete, by suffering in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest, that he might make atonement for our sins. Jesus, being God, already knew everything but as God in the flesh, he felt in his body what rejection feels like. He understands us; he knows how we feel. Jesus is our perfect high priest. He was the sacrificial lamb and now hears our confession, forgives our sin and sympathizes with us. Jesus will not reject us if we call on him. We can cancel him but he will not cancel us.
So what are we to do with rejection? Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Paul writes it is a privilege to suffer for Christ because that is how we get to know him. We actually share His suffering. He suffered for us so we, in turn, suffer for him. Jesus never promised life would be easy, but he did promise that he would be with us and more. Great is our reward in heaven! That is the anchor for our souls.
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