You Don’t Know Rejection

(From Isaiah 53)

You don’t know rejection. You may think you do. And of course, none of us lives for very long without experiencing some amount of it. But I am here to tell you that you don’t really know rejection as Jesus did. Not even close. And as a witness to at least some of the rejection that Jesus suffered, I am speaking from firsthand experience.

Who am I? Let’s just say that I was (and still am) one of Jesus’ closest disciples, not one of the twelve, but just outside that group. I will tell you a bit more about myself later. Just know that I was there, walking with him, listening to him, and observing him on almost a daily basis.

If you are a Jesus-follower, you undoubtedly know about his suffering, I mean his physical suffering in particular. You can read about it in the Gospels. And also, in books. Many films have been produced, showing the brutality and cruelty of death by crucifixion in the Roman empire. The films depicting Jesus’ death are especially hard to watch.

Rejection

Illustration by Juan Landin

What’s so difficult to portray in a film, however, is the level of personal rejection that Jesus endured. The Gospels barely mention it. But as I reflect on it, I almost believe that he suffered more from the personal rejection of others than from the nails that held him to the cross. 

To better understand, go back to Isaiah chapter 53 and read about the prophecy describing Jesus. Here is a short excerpt:

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

If you read the Gospels you will undoubtedly remember Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth. He quoted from Isaiah in the synagogue there, claiming that the prophecy relating to the Messiah had been fulfilled in their presence. The reaction of the attendees was hostile to say the least, resulting in an attempt on his life.

Beginning with that inauspicious start, Jesus launched his public ministry. And from that point forward, he encountered opposition. Complaints about Jesus ranged from his place of origin (Galilee), to his lack of formal education, to his family (carpenter’s son), to the people he chose to heal (some were not Jews), to the people he associated with (sinners, tax collectors, lepers, etc.), and finally, to his healings on the Sabbath.

Read John chapter 7 to see more attempts to kill Jesus. In addition, you can read about the attitudes of his own disciples: 

“Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”

Jesus did leave Galilee for the Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. The response to him there was mixed. Even those who believed in him feared to say so because of the not-so-veiled threat from their leaders. Some even described Jesus as “demon-possessed.” Temple leaders were prepared to arrest Jesus, but failed to do so because, as he said, his “time had not yet come.”

From then on, the religious power elite continued to plot his assassination. 

Of course, at the heart of the opposition to Jesus was the emotion of jealousy. The religious leaders of the day, wanting to protect their positions of power at all costs, proved to be, beyond all measure, jealous of Jesus. Their enmity built up over time, as Jesus became more widely known, to a fever pitch. It was deadly, a fierce hatred, a literal inferno of passion that was fanned by Satan himself, all of it aimed at one man, Jesus. 

And of course, you are also aware of the betrayal of one of Jesus’ closest followers, Judas. And of Peter’s denials. Over the three years, virtually all of his closest followers doubted Jesus in one way or another. Can you imagine the humility shown by Jesus as he washed their feet?

Jesus was laughed at when he claimed that Jairus’ daughter wasn’t really dead, just asleep. As he tried to explain the terrible fate that awaited him in Jerusalem, his disciples failed to express any understanding, thinking only of their glory in his future kingdom. Pharisees tried to trick him with questions about marriage and divorce, paying taxes to the emperor, and the source of his authority in healings.

Even the crucifixion of Jesus was marked by personal rejection. The crowd chose to release a convicted murderer so that the innocent Jesus could be crucified. Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head, and clothed him in a regal robe, mocking him as “King of the Jews.” Religious leaders taunted him as he hung on the cross, imploring him to come down if he had the power that he had claimed.

It is easy to just accept these rejections and minimize them in our own minds. Jesus, after all, truly was the Son of God. He had come from unbelievable glory to live with us. He was powerful. He was intelligent and wise beyond measure. He was confident enough to do battle with Satan and overcome the temptations offered to him. Surely, we might imagine, he must have been immune to what the rest of us feel as rejection.

After all, could any of us truly believe that we, humble mortals that we are, could actually hurt the feelings of God’s only Son? Is it possible that Jesus, the perfect one, could truly feel emotional pain, just as he felt physical pain? Could he truly suffer from rejection? From the likes of us?

It’s tempting to simply think that Jesus the Messiah was above all human emotions, not subject to the hurt feelings experienced by the rest of us. The Son of God! But as a firsthand witness, I can tell you that it’s far from the truth. He was hurt, he was saddened, and he was emotional about the rejection that he felt from us. And after all, we were and are nothing more than his own creation. The children were rejecting their creator!

And what’s more, can you find anywhere in the Gospels where we humble mortals expressed our love and appreciation toward Jesus? The Gospels record healing after healing, with only occasional thanks expressed by those who were healed. There was the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but it was quickly followed by terrific hostility from Pharisees and elders of the temple.

And that’s where I came in. You can read about me in all four Gospels, though the details of the accounts differ. That doesn’t matter. Let’s just say that I was a woman who loved Jesus. I loved him and wished to express my love for him. I knew him well enough to know that he did, in fact, feel hurt by all of the rejections and hostility expressed toward him. He was, after all, human, too. And I knew that it was only his love for the Father that kept him going, obedient to the last, even, as the Apostle Paul has said, to death on a cross.

Someone, I believed, some human being, needed to openly and publicly express love for Jesus, this man who so unselfishly loved others, including his enemies and those who hurt him.

So, it was me. I am the one who brought the expensive perfume to the dinner. I am the one who poured it on his feet and anointed him, washing his feet with my hair. I am the one who, in his own words, prepared his body for burial.

You can think of me as one of the Mary’s who followed Jesus, or as a prostitute, or as some other unnamed person. The Gospels don’t agree on my identity. But it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I loved him and that I knew that he needed someone to express that love for him. So, I did it in the best way I could. And I was criticized for it, I might add.

Mary Magdalen anointing Christ's feet. Illuminated manuscript, c. 1500

And to be honest, it was the criticism that I bore that made it so much more worthwhile to me. You see, love without a price is easy. But I paid a price, not only for the expensive perfume, not only for my own humility, but most of all, for the criticism that I bore.

It was a shame that others didn’t participate, joining me in expressing our love for Jesus. Instead, there was disappointment that the perfume wasn’t sold to raise money for the poor.

And even in receiving this token of love, Jesus was generous. Don’t you remember? He promised that wherever the Gospel is preached, this act of love will be told in memory of me. And so, it has been.

So, what about you? Even today, you can openly express your love for Jesus. And when you do, please be assured that it will make him smile.

Would you like to see a video of this story? If so, then go to https://vimeo.com/showcase/11005935