Bible
Study: Job 3, 1 to 23 and Luke 9, 51 to 56.
One common
denominator in today’s readings is the fact that their central character (Job
and Jesus) are in the middle of a crisis situation. Job has just received very
sad news about the death of his children as well as the loss of his property. He
has every reason to be angry. Jesus sent messengers to prepare ahead of him but
the Samaritans would not receive him. He too has every reason to be angry.
But what
did Job do? He turned his anger to himself. Rather than curse God and blame him
for his situation or blame someone else, Job blames himself. He cursed the day
he was born as if to say if he had not been born, all this would not have
happened. He was indirectly saying he is the one responsible for his crisis. He
is not looking for anybody to hold responsible neither is he making enemies for
himself over his situation.
When we
are in crisis, we can learn from Job to turn to ourselves and look inwards
rather than castigate and blame others. Even though we try to convince
ourselves of our innocence, it is better to retrace our own steps than to start
creating real and imagined enemies for ourselves.
Now,
looking at Jesus’ reaction to his rejection by the Samaritans, we see that he
rebuked James and John for suggesting that he should call down fire from heaven
to burn that town to ashes. He didn’t even utter a single word in annoyance. He
simply asked them to go to another town.
Of course,
when we intend good for people only for them to throw our good at our faces, we
have every reason to be angry. However, Jesus teaches us today that in such
situations, the best thing to do is to simply walk away. Like James and John,
the average human reaction to rejection is to call down fire but really, it
makes no sense to destroy the same people that you wanted to help all because
they rejected the help.
If you
really wanted to help them in the first place, you would be betraying your
goodness when you now turn around to destroy them with the fire of your anger.
At times, the best thing to do for a person you love is to walk away when your
love is rejected. Fighting the same person you once love calls to question if
you ever loved at all because love has no end. 1st Corinthians 13,
verse 8.
It can be
very painful when you are rejected. No human being loves to be rejected. It can
be damaging to our self-esteem because we love to think ourselves as better
than others. And when we are rejected, our natural thinking is to assume that
those who rejected us are not giving credit to our worth or that they are
telling us they are better than us. The Pain of rejection can at times be worse
than even physical injury and like a wound, it hurts from deep inside affecting
us psychologically and emotionally.
Whether we
like it or not, we all are going to experience one form of rejection or another
as long as we live in a world where freedom of choice exists for people. So
rather than avoid rejection at all costs and become people pleasers (which is
worse), we just need to prepare ourselves ahead for rejection and find ways to
heal ourselves when it happens.
The best cure
for rejection is to make excuses for the people who reject you. Right there on
the cross, Jesus said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are
doing.” Luke 23, verse 34. When humanity as a whole rejected Christ on the
cross, Jesus did not respond with anger, he didn’t become depressed at our
ingratitude, he simply made excuses for us all. When people reject you, it does
not mean you are worthless, it simply means they are ignorant of your worth. Excuse
them and move on.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, give me wisdom to handle rejection like you did rather than emit fire on
others and give me the grace to look inwards like Job rather than look for who
to blame. Amen.
Saint
Vincent de Paul, patron of those who help the poor; pray for us.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu
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