Rejection. We have all experienced it. It hurts. It causes us to build defenses around our heart, not want to take risks, question who we are, walk in regret. Rejection coupled with betrayal from a spouse, from a friend, from someone you love can be even worse. None of us would willingly walk through a time of rejection. None of us would voluntarily submit ourselves to the humiliation of rejection. None of us except Jesus.
Jesus willingly, voluntarily faced rejection. He faced rejection from those He loved enough to lay down His life. He faced rejection from His friends whom He had done life with for three years. But perhaps the worse came when His Father for a brief second had to turn away from Him as He carried the sins of the entire universe. Jesus, our High Priest, is well acquainted with our pains of rejection.
Jesus endured rejection so that the ones who rejected Him could be accepted in Him! (Wrap your head around that extreme love.) Because of the cross, because Jesus willingly faced rejection, you and I are accepted in the Beloved. The God of the universe celebrates us, sings over us, calls us His. We are no longer orphans, rejected servants, but we have been accepted into the family and are sons and daughters!
When we are rejected in this life, we are insulated from its sting because we know ultimately the God of the Universe accepts us. When we are rejected from that promotion, our spouses walk out on us, we are denied admittance to our top choice for college, a friend betrays us, we take solace in this, “we are accepted sons and daughters of the Most High.” If He is for us, who can be against us? If a door is closed in my face, many more will fling open because my Father accepts me!
Go forth today, take risks, open your heart to love secured in the knowledge that you are an accepted son or daughter!
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 NASB)