REJECTED BY THE ONES HE CAME TO SAVE
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36
At one critical point in Jesus adult ministry, He stood on the edge of the city of Jerusalem and wept for their spiritual condition. Whenever I have read that account, I compared it to a local pastor who stands on the edge of his city and weeps for their lost condition. But in reality, they are not equal. A pastor did not create the ones he is preaching to. He is not married to the ones he ministers to. He did not come from heaven and live his entire life - only to save the ones in his city. Jesus did all that.
While some Jews believed in Jesus, the majority did not. There is a history to their rejection. He was the creator of them. He watched Adam and Eve rebel and turn against Him. He planned the birth of the nation of Israel and made powerful relationship choices to call them His children, then - His bride. He spent thousands of years in relationship with them, wooing them, disciplining them, weeping over their wayward ways. He waited for the time when He would enter human history to reveal Himself to them, in person. Can you imagine the excitement, the hopes He would have, as He declared to them the good news that He was from heaven, the one they had been waiting for?
It is in this light that He stands on the edge of the holy city and sees their rejection of Him. He weeps. This is a rejection that would brutally wound His heart. Add to that, their rejection would bring on eternal wrath.
I don't have the capacity to understand the full extent of Jesus' pain. My history with people is only decades old, at best. His was centuries old. However, because I am created in His image, my heart can feel the nature of rejection. I know what it is to lay my heart on the line, anticipate being heard and received, but then rejected - even ridiculed. It is difficult to ignore the carnal need for instant revenge.
Jesus was rejected, but He kept reaching out. His love is long suffering and gives one chance after another for people to see His glory and believe. If, in any way, you have kept Jesus at arms length and rejected His invitatin for radical relationship, for an intimacy that none on this earth can offer, I am praying as I write this that you will make a strong and final decision to fling open the doors of your heart.
You are my Bridegroom. Your Father is my Father. Each is an intimate relationship. I don't want to do anything today that would break Your heart and cause You to feel rejected. I give myself to You without any reservation whatsoever and raise my hands to call you Lord and King. Amen
