Lutheran Church of Australia

where love comes to life

Rejected

23 May 2024

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by Tatiana Overduin

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The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Luke 20:17b).

Read Luke 20:9–19

Have you felt rejected? Of course you have. Who hasn’t? It’s within our human nature to experience this type of emotion, from micro-rejections to full-blown macro-rejections. But how could these occurrences possibly compare to what Jesus suffered? Jesus was rejected by the very people he came to save. Have you ever experienced rejection because of your faith in Jesus Christ?

Many martyrs throughout history, until modern times, have felt rejection – and even death – for the sake of the gospel. Jesus warns us that we, too, as his followers, will encounter rejection.

Many biblical texts point to this truth, but two come to mind. In John 15:21, Jesus says, ‘They will do this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me’. Here, Jesus refers to a rejection of himself as well as a rejection of God the Father – the ‘one who sent him’.

In Matthew 10:22, Jesus says, ‘You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved’.

It could be easy to become frightened or worried about how it’s humanly possible to ‘stand firm to the end’, and so, we immediately recognise we cannot. Only with God’s help can we endure rejection or even hatred from others, especially for our faith in Jesus. So, this is what we do – we receive. Jesus is the Cornerstone; all things are grounded solidly in him, and God promises to be with us when we seek him in all and for all things.

‘For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Romans 10:13).

Dear God, we give thanks for all that you give us. Forgive us for not recognising you right beside us: holding us in the palm of your hand all through the suffering and rejection of life. Have mercy and forgive us, Lord, when we fear or fail to testify to your message of salvation by standing firm in our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask that you fill us with your Holy Spirit, Lord, to not despair during difficult times but empower us in faith. We make these requests in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Tatiana is married to Jim, and they live at Largs North, a seaside location in Adelaide. They have two adult children and six grandchildren who are a wonderful blessing to them both. Tatiana teaches full-time as an English, History and Religion teacher; she gained a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Australian Lutheran College in 1996 and, in her spare time, she enjoys knitting, gardening, singing for church, writing and swimming. Her home congregation is Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide.

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