Despised and rejected...

Jesus, the favourite Child of God, is persecuted. He who is poor, gentle, mourning; he who hungers and thirsts for uprightness; is merciful, pure of heart and a peacemaker, is not welcome in this world. The Blessed One of God is a threat to the established order and a source of constant irritation to those who consider themselves the rulers of this world. Without his accusing anyone he is considered an accuser, without his condemning anyone he makes people feel guilty and ashamed, without his judging anyone those who see him feel judged. In their eyes, he cannot be tolerated and needs to be destroyed, because letting him be seems like a confession of guilt.

When we want to become like Jesus, we cannot expect always to be liked and admired. We have to be prepared to be rejected.

Henri Nouwen, from Bread for the Journey

Very scary. I'm afraid if my own experience is anything to go by, I haven't anything to offer to soften Nouwen's words. So often, as Christians, we can accept rejection by "the world", but within the church, we tend expect that if we are righteous, we will find favour in the eyes of the people. This I think is an Old Testament concept; yet even in the lives of people like Joseph and David we find that the principle does not hold true. Jesus began his ministry growing "in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men" (Luke 2.52 NIV) yet by the end of his life the Sanhedrin were plotting to kill him, and when they had the chance to save him, the crowds that had been crying, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" were shouting, "Crucify him!"

Jesus himself pointed out (John 15.19-21) that we can expect no less. But we needn't worry, really. There is nothing we can do to defend ourselves, nor should we try. Our job is merely to "Love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us]." (Matthew 5.44 NIV) If this is to be our role, we don't have to bother collecting weapons, or peering behind curtains for enemies, or under bushes for demons. We just have to carry on being "poor, gentle, mourning... merciful, pure of heart and peacemaker[s]", and God will look after the rest, just as he looked after his Son. The worst may happen - it did to Jesus - yet "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8.28 NIV)

My own experience has shown me that this too is true. We can depend utterly on the mercy of God in Christ, even at what appear to be the darkest times - so that I can say, without pious pretence, "it was good for me to be afflicted" (Psalm 119.71 NIV) - for this is the only way I could myself come to know my Lord, to know the tone of his voice and the touch of his hand...