John 7:1-13 | What is the lesson for me today?

I will admit, rejection is hard for me. I was the weird religious kid growing up. Everything had to be very by the book (Bible) and it would bother me when others just did not get it. I had a very sensitive conscience and I still do. You know what kids, and youth really don't like about peers? When they like to do what is right. I found myself in a lot of solitude and sacrificed the luxury of companionship through my whole childhood. It was not until college that I found myself really having a friend. Even still, deep companionship is hard for me. Most of my time is spent in Scripture or in worship and prayer. Because of that I have a hard time relating with people through cultural things. I don't watch a lot of movies or shows. I don't really listen to secular music. I don't watch sports. I'm not a car guy. My life is defined by pursuing after Jesus. This means that I find myself outside of a lot of those conversations. Fortunately I am good at asking questions so I can float the conversation, but I don't get to contribute to the point of developing a deep relationship on it.

All that to be said, I have found myself on the receiving end of rejection due to my pursuit after the Lord. It becomes easy for me to think that because I am being rejected, it has to be because I am doing something wrong. The reality for Jesus is that He was the only one doing something right.

For me, this highlights the fact that pursuit after Jesus will result in being an outcast in many ways. Who was it that rejected Him incessantly? Was it not the religious elite and His own family? At the end, was not even those He had invest the most into? Indeed, He was rejected by those who should have received Him. It should not come as a surprise when the same happens to us. Family and friends can be a touchy subject for many, especially when it comes to Jesus. But if Jesus were rejected for it all, we ought to expect the same.

What lesson are you taking for yourself today?