Mark 6: Rejected!

Today’s reading is Mark 6.

Jesus has met with incredible success. Everywhere He goes people line up to see Him. In fact, in some places it has been so much He can’t even openly enter the town. He’s had to stay out in desolate places and still the people come.

That is, until He went back home. In small town, backwoods Nazareth, He enters the synagogue and begins to teach. These people are astonished just like the folks in other synagogues. Except, it isn’t just like the others, is it? In other places, they are astonished at His authority. They are astonished at His power. They are astonished at His ability. In Nazareth, they are astonished that one of their own would have the audacity to think He’s something special.

“We know this guy.” “He’s just a carpenter.” “I had tea with his mom last Saturday.” “I went to school with his brothers.” “He can’t be all that.”

And He gets rejected.

But what does He do with that? Does He go into despair? Does He lie awake at night wondering why He isn’t everybody’s favorite? Does He give up and quit? No. He marvels. He is surprised that the people won’t accept the evidence of His work. But He doesn’t quit. Neither does He get bent out of shape. He doesn’t harangue the people for their unbelief. He doesn’t attack them. He doesn’t belittle them. The next sentence after highlighting the Nazarenes’ unbelief says, “And he went about among the villages teaching.” Jesus simply kept on teaching. Those who would listen would listen, those who wouldn’t wouldn’t.

Jesus neither anchored His self worth in people’s responses, nor took their rejection personally. He taught. He worked. The response was up to the people. If they wouldn’t listen, He would shake the dust of His feet and move on. At least, that’s how He told the 12 to see it when He sent them out.

What a lesson for us to learn. How many times have I avoided talking about Jesus because I feared rejection? What do I fear about it? Do I fear what I think those people are saying about me? Do I fear what their rejection means about me personally? Do I fear what I will miss if the people don’t like me? Jesus didn’t let any of these questions hinder Him even after He was rejected. He simply kept on about His business.

May we learn to be this comfortable rejection. May we learn to simply keep on spreading the good news.

Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 6.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Mark 6 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 66: He Has Not Rejected My Prayer

Today’s reading is Psalm 66.

We’ve been through many lament psalms. Enemies abound. Dry times multiply. In those times, the psalmist struggles. Has God forgotten him? Did God abandon him? Was God even listening?

Even this psalm mentions the times when God allowed His people to be tested and tried. They were brought into a net and fell under crushing burdens. Men trampled them and rode over their heads and backs. Awful!

Those times are hard. But when in the bright sunshine we look back on the night, the darkness dims, the fear diminishes, the suffering pales. When we get to the times of abundance, the times of fire and rain do not look so bad.

Remember Paul’s exhortation in Romans 8:18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

In these moments of blessing after the suffering, we realize God was listening to our prayers all along. We felt abandoned, but we were not. We felt forgotten, but we were not. And when we are in that time of ultimate and eternal blessing, the momentary pains will be forgotten entirely.

In the good times, store these memories and feelings up. I imagine you’ll want to remember them when tough times come again. In the night, remember, this too shall pass. The dawn will make it all look different.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 66.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 66 admonish you?