Matthew 23:37"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stoned those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing."
When was the last time you felt rejected? Was it when your love for someone went unrequited? When you got passed over for a promotion at your job? When your best friend snubbed you at a party? Maybe you, or someone you know, have even suffered the rejection of family members because of past mistakes or misunderstandings. No matter how you experienced rejection, one thing holds true: It HURTS!
God's unquenchable desire to love and guard His people, to give them protection and comfort under His merciful wings, was met, time and again, with rejection. Like rebellious children, the Israelites refused to heed the warnings of the prophets to repent of their sins and return to Him, the one true God. The anguish and grief in Jesus' words, spoken to His beloved Jerusalem, are palpable, excruciating. He knows the time is coming when even He, the chief cornerstone, will be rejected by His own people. Yet, despite all the pain and disappointment, He will love them enough and love us enough, to lay down His life for the forgiveness of our sins.
In those trying times when you suffer rejection, remember that you are always accepted, just as you are, by a loving and merciful God. Rest beneath His protective wings and find an everlasting peace.
Readings
Psalms 148, 149, 150 or 114, 115
1 Samuel 17:50-18:4
Romans 10:4-17
Matthew 23:29:39
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