Life is tough…. A reflection on the Gospel of Luke 4:21-30
So suck it up and move on! These are probably not the words you want to hear after experiencing some disappointment or rejection. Some will say it is tough love, my daughters will say it is just plain mean and shows a lack of emotional intelligence.
So, imagine how Jesus must have felt after giving what must have been a very eloquent sermon only to be rejected by the very people, he thought would be proud of him. I suppose Jesus did not endear himself to the crowd by reminding them of Elijah and Elisha and their ministry amongst non-Israelites and that generally, prophets are not accepted by their own. As always, Jesus read the crowd and knew that they would also reject him – you could almost say Jesus was being a bit cheeky.
Rejection, whether we like it or not is part of life. Often, we feel rejected by God, like -why have I not won the Lotto this week? – after all I did pray for it? 🙂 Jesus was rejected by this own, which is probably the hardest form of rejection one has to deal with. Jesus did not let this deter him from continuing the work his Father sent him to do. Likewise, we are also called to see through the jealously, criticism and rejection that we may face on our spiritual journey. The disappointment of your invitation to join you at Mass or a prayer meeting being declined or comments about sinners only having to go to church, can be challenging. It however offers an opportunity to show love which St Paul so eloquently reminds us, is patient and kind -not jealous or pompous. The message in our first reading is also about standing firm in our faith, even when we face opposition.
Jesus did suck it up and moved on and look at the impact he has left on the world, imagine what you could do, knowing that he has got your back.
Clint Ramoo – Finance Chair
