Did Jesus Establish a Religion for Rejects?

Have you ever experienced the rejection of not being offered a job you really wanted? Maybe you can remember feeling brokenhearted when someone you deeply cared for turned away from you. I can still recall, early in my writing career, receiving my first rejection letters after sending proposals to magazines for articles or to publishers for books I was writing.

 

No one likes rejection. It hurts. Our egos become bruised, our self-image becomes diminished, and we can even question our place in the world. “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I’m gonna eat some worms!” I never actually did that – do you eat worms raw, like sushi, fried or what? But I still vividly recall the times when I felt unwanted or unneeded.

 

Even though we’ve all experienced the pain of rejection in one way or another, we still participate in it as we relate to others. Human history has always had “haves” and “have-nots,” not only in material terms but also in other ways. It might be the pretty girl at school, getting attention from the boys that other girls don’t receive. Or the academic whiz who hardly breaks a sweat to earn straight A’s, while fellow students develop brain cramps struggling to earn a C. Or the natural athlete who excels at multiple sports, while others wish they could demonstrate enough skill to make any team and just ride the bench.

 

In each scenario, it’s not unusual for the have-nots to feel rejected. Then there are the individuals no one wants to associate with for other reasons. It could be mannerisms, limitations or social standing. Maybe they come from the “wrong side of the tracks.” When you feel rejected, dreams are shattered, ambition fades and initiative dies. There’s probably no worse place to be than without hope.

 

Interestingly, Jesus Christ was drawn to people like this – the rejects of society that no one else saw of any value or use. Reading through the gospels we encounter many of them: A small cluster of shepherds, hardly members of high Jewish society, who were the first to learn about the birth of the Christ child. The Samaritan woman at the well, who had been married five times and was living with yet another man. Lepers who were literal outcasts, cast out of the cities so they could not “infect” anyone else with their hideous afflictions. 

 

Another woman who was caught in the act of adultery, whom religious leaders believed was deserving of being stoned. Crippled and chronically ill individuals who had hoped in vain for some miraculous healing, or even some compassion from able-bodied people who saw them.

 

Even the people Jesus chose to be His closest followers were regarded as rejects. There were lowly fishermen like Peter and Andrew, James and John; Matthew and Zacchaeus, Jewish tax collectors who had achieved comfortable lifestyles by working for the Romans and heartlessly oppressing their own people. Thomas, who carried an air of skepticism about many things. Simon the Zealot, who probably had earned a spot on the Romans’ most-wanted list as an insurrectionist.

 

Someone might say that Jesus Christ in effect established a religion for rejects, even though His teachings were not about religion but about relationships – genuine, life-transforming relationships with the God of all eternity.

 

Lest we think uncharitably toward any of the above, thinking they were not worthy of the Lord’s love, grace and mercy, it might be a good idea to look in the mirror. Because not one of us is worthy of Him either. 

 

As Romans 3:10-12 so clearly states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…there is no one who does good, not even one.” If we ever find ourselves feeling puffed up, as if the Lord really got a bargain when He chose us to become part of His holy family, we only need to reread those verses.

 

Another nearby passage underscores this truth: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

 

We might want to argue, “But look at all the good things I’ve done, the noble causes I’m engaged in. Don’t they count for anything?” The prophet Isaiah essentially says, “Sorry, but no.” “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Imagine approaching God and offering Him some old, oily rags or something even worse.

 

In God’s sight, it’s not a matter of whether we’ve done more good than bad. It’s only about perfection and holiness, being made acceptable to be in the presence of the perfect, holy God – and that’s possible only through Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, paying once and for all the unspeakable penalty for our sins.

 

So, from that perspective, we’re all rejects, not unlike Mary Magdalene, Matthew, the shunned lepers, or dirty shepherds. And yet, despite that reality, we find these exciting words in 1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 

The next verse is even more compelling: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). As someone has said, if that doesn’t light your fire, your wood must be wet! 

Blessings, Curses, and How to Tell the Difference

If we could to transport ourselves to the time of the ancient Israelites and observe their lives and behavior, I suspect it would seem like riding a rollercoaster: breathtaking heights of zeal, devotion and obedience to God, followed by terrifying plunges of apathy, rebellion and disobedience. Perhaps the Lord might have felt like He was plucking petals off a flower, one by one – “they love Me, they love Me not, they love Me, they love Me not….” 

 

Recently a friend and I were discussing blessings and curses. He’d been reading some of the Old Testament narratives about good and evil Israelite kings and God’s response to their obedience and disobedience. For instance, in Deuteronomy 11:26-28 we read, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from the way I command you today….”

 

After the people of Israel arrived in the Promised Land after wandering 40 years in the wilderness, their leader Joshua determined it was time to renew the covenant they had made with the Lord many years before. He reminded them of God’s promises and admonitions: “Joshua read all the words of the law – the blessings and the curses – just as it is written in the Book of the Law” (Joshua 8:34).

 

Experience had taught the Israelites that if they did right, they’d get rewarded. But if they did wrong, they’d incur God’s punishment. Classic cause and effect. The New Testament, however, offers a shift in perspective and teaching. Rather than getting what we deserve, we’re told God in His grace offers us what we don’t deserve – forgiveness for our sins, salvation and eternal life. 

 

Romans 3:10 asserts, “There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good, not even one.” At times in reading this, I’ve wondered, “Is this about politicians?” But it clearly applies to everyone. So our hope of gaining God’s love and acceptance on the basis of merit flies out the window. Instead, we cling by faith to the assurance we read a bit later: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

 

Which brings us back to the subject of blessings and curses. Since the Lord has basically declared every last one of us a rebellious, disobedient mess, how can we expect His blessings? At the same time, since we often seem to forget about Him altogether, why aren’t we cursed more?

Maybe we need to re-examine our thinking about blessings and curses. Surely if we do right, we’re more likely to receive some kind of reward. And if we do wrong, we’ll likely encounter consequences. But many times, whether something is a blessing or a curse can depend on our response to it.

 

Years ago I had the opportunity – and blessing – to interview Joni Eareckson Tada who, despite being a quadriplegic, has achieved much-deserved acclaim as an author, speaker, artist and singer. She recounted her story of how as a teenager she became injured after unsuspectingly diving into a shallow lake. Her neck was broken instantly, leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down. 

 

We could view that as a curse, in the blink of an eye going from a healthy, active teenager to one without the use of any of her limbs. And in her writings Joni tells how she struggled initially with the prospect of spending the rest of her life in that condition. She describes her despair and hopelessness. Who could blame her, right?

 

In retrospect, however, she admitted, “I shudder to think about what my life would have been like if I HAD NOT become paralyzed.” What? A blessing, not a curse? 

 

Joni explained that after the initial shock and grief, her injury gave her no recourse but to trust in the Lord for everything she would need. At the same time, she was able to refocus and develop her considerable creative talents to tell her story of faith, inspiring others and giving glory to God, showing how He can use even the worst circumstances for His good. 

 

What could have been a curse for Joni, had she responded the wrong way with self-pity and anger, turned into a blessing beyond anything she could have imagined. She’s had numerous triumphs and trials over the years since, but remains an example of the great promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

 

On the other hand, the Scriptures offer some examples of individuals who seemingly were very blessed materially, but when those things took their focus off of the Lord, they became curses.

 

One was King Solomon of Israel. In succeeding his father, King David, he was a model of humility. When God visited him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you,” the new king replied, “Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:5-9).

 

Asking for wisdom – that’s the kind of ruler we’d all like to follow. But starting well doesn’t guarantee finishing well, as Solomon sadly proved. He became consumed with riches, military might, and the many wives and concubines he had accumulated – all contrary to God’s expressed commands. By the end of his life, these “blessings” had turned into curses:

“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel…. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command” (1 Kings 11:9-10).

 

These are lessons for all of us. We might look around at our material possessions and think, “What a blessing!” But beware: If they take our eyes off the Lord, they could become a curse. Conversely, our present hardships – which might seem like curses – could turn into unimaginable blessings. Sometimes it’s all in how we look at our circumstances – and respond to them.