Have you ever experienced rejection? I’m sure you probably have at one point or another. Rejection is a terrible feeling most of us try to avoid. Unfortunately, many times we neglect doing something we know we should do because we are afraid of being rejected.

After Jesus had finished a long discourse through the means of parables, He entered Nazareth and taught in the synagogue. To everyone’s amazement, Jesus seemed very wise and special because of His teaching and miraculous powers. Since Jesus was from Nazareth, he should have been a town hero for the people of this city.  You would have expected the people of Nazareth to stand up and cheer in happiness for Jesus, because Nazareth was considered a lowly town.

Sadly, instead of praising Jesus and parading Him around all of Nazareth, the people responded by saying, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at Him” (Matt. 13:55-57a).

Even though the people of Nazareth were amazed at the teachings of Jesus, they couldn’t get past His family background. He was simply known as the carpenter’s son, ordinary and like everyone else in town. In spite of all He preached and all the miracles He performed, the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because of His family.

Jesus, the perfect and sinless son of God (Heb. 4:15), was rejected by the very people who should have been the most proud of Him. Now Jesus could have lost hope in His mission and simply refused to preach ever again. He could have allowed this rejection to bring the purpose of God to a halt, but He didn’t. Jesus marveled at their unbelief but then went on fulfilling His purpose on earth.

How many times have you been rejected by others in your service to God? Have you allowed those times of rejection to keep you from continuing with the mission of God? As children of God, we have a responsibility to preach and share the good news of Jesus Christ, even in the midst of rejection (Matt. 28:19-20). I challenge you to follow the example of Jesus when dealing with rejection and to keep on keepin’ on!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

In what ways have you experienced rejection in your service to God?