Despised and Rejected

“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!” – Isaiah 53:3-4

Jesus was and is the most rejected person in all human history. Yet Jesus was perfect. There was no sin, no personality or character flaw in Him that caused Him to be rejected. Yet He suffered undeserved rejection all His life. Jesus was rejected by His peers, by His nation, by the Gentiles, by the world He had created. In the hour of His agony He was betrayed by one friend, denied by another, and abandoned by all of His disciples. He experienced loneliness, suffering, grief, and rejection. He even felt rejected by God, His Father. Remember His cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46).

So how did Jesus deal with rejection? “One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” (Luke 3:21-22)

The rejection of man had little affect on Jesus because He was completely accepted by His Father. Since He was secure in His Father‘s acceptance, the praise or rejection of others had no power over Him. Jesus knew that regardless of how people would respond to His teaching or actions it held no pull over Him. He didn‘t have to prove or defend anything. He was laser-focused on His Father’s business  “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”  (Luke 2:49 KJV)  The words convey a strong commitment. This is no option. This is what He is about. 

That begs a questions: Are we about our Father’s business rather than worrying about the approval or rejection of man? Is being about our father’s business reflected in how we live our lives?   

If He is Lord, really Lord, then we will want our lives to mirror His.  We will want what He wants, do as He does, go as He goes, give as He gives and live as He lives. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What does being about my father’s business mean to you?
   
2. What can we do this week to focus more on doing our father’s business?