God has rejected me! There is hardly a Christian on the planet who has not at some time been haunted by that fear. Feeling rejected by anyone is painful, but for a devout Christian to feel rejected by God can be devastating, even terrifying.
Matthew 15:22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” (23) Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” (24) He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (25) The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. (26) He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (27) “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (28) Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
We find the woman pleading with Jesus, detailing her desperate plight to him. Without so much as uttering a word, he turns his back on her and walks away.
Despite reeling in the pain of rejection and being emotionally flattened by the hopelessness of it all, she still follows Jesus, crying out to him.
As if Jesus’ reaction were not enough, his chosen followers soon pile on their own rejection. Her persistence so annoys them that Jesus’ disciples plead with him to tell her to get lost. So Jesus tells her that his divine mission – the command of God on his life – is to minister exclusively to Jews, not Gentiles like her. Instead of resigning herself to the sovereign will of God, she begs even harder. Jesus is unyielding. He states even more emphatically that it was not right for him to do what she is asking.
This woman was a Gentile before Jesus’ sacrifice opened the way for Gentiles to be included in God’s Covenant. But not only was she a Gentile, she was a Canaanite – the worst of the Gentiles. She should not even have been born. Had God’s people been obedient to God’s command, her family line would have been wiped out generations ago.
By now her devastating feelings of rejection could have turned to anger and a determination to reject Jesus like he has rejected her. Yet despite all the pressure to give in to feelings of hopelessness and bitterness, she still refuses to take ‘No’ for an answer.
Why was Jesus so hard on her? Because he knew she had what it takes to rise to the challenge and that her doing so would bring her rich reward. Jesus’ seeming rejection brought out the best in her. Yes, she got her miracle like so many other people, but because Jesus let her seemingly suffer rejection, she soared far beyond getting her miracle to gaining Jesus’ high praise resounding through the tunnels of time for two thousand years around the world and continuing for all eternity.
Her refusal to accept Jesus’ apparent rejection not only thrilled the heart of God, it has inspired countless multitudes of Christians throughout every successive generation.
And the same is true for you. God has faith in you. You can rise to the challenge and refuse to be defeated by all the surface indications of rejection. You can ignore all the worrying superficialities and by faith see past them to the loving heart of Jesus. You can keep following Jesus even when he seems to have turned his back on you and walked away. And as you persist, you will thrill the heart of God, gain for yourself eternal glory, and inspire other Christians.
The Canaanite woman’s experience was not an isolated case.
Ruth was not just a Gentile; she was a Moabite, and as such she was singled out for special rejection from God.
Deuteronomy 23:3 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. . . . (6) Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.
How’s that for rejection! In contrast, this Scripture immediately goes on to mention other Gentiles:
Deuteronomy 23:7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country. (8) The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.
Ruth wanted to join the Israelites, but every indication was that God did not want her. Her only contact with God’s people had been with a family who seemed cursed. They had arrived in her country as economic refugees – hardly a sign of God’s blessing. Moreover, their impoverishment – due to God withholding rain – had forced them out of the land of God’s people. Then, one by one, every male member of the family died, including Ruth’s own husband. Then the surviving family member said:
Ruth 1:11 . . . “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? . . . (13) . . . the LORD’s hand has gone out against me!”
Over and over, Naomi kept insisting that it was unwise for her daughters-in-law to go with her to the land of God’s people. They would be better off where they were. Eventually, Ruth’s sister-in-law gave in to Naomi’s pleas. Ruth, however, kept pushing through all the objections and rejections. The result? God chose her over all the women in Israel as ancestress of King David and of the Messiah.
It is said if you take pity on a moth struggling to break free from its cocoon and make its passage out easier, the moth will be forever deformed. What seems an act of kindness ends up being cruel. The hard struggle to emerge is essential for the initial pumping of blood into its crumpled wings. I don’t know enough about moths to know if this is an urban myth, but I know my Lord well enough to be certain that if he makes something hard for us, it is for our own good. It is because making it easier would ultimately be less loving and cripple our spiritual development.
Like a good coach giving an athlete tough training sessions, God makes it hard for you because he longs for you to succeed.
I know this because I know God is love. Scour the planet, seeking the purest, selfless compassion. When at last you’ve found this rare and priceless treasure, blend in full-blooded passion. Add empathy – the ability to feel other people’s pain and their every emotion. Stir into the mixture flawless wisdom. Then multiply the result to infinity. What you now have is a shadow of God’s love.
God is warm, passionate, highly personal and yet consistent and utterly dependable. His intelligence soars far too high above us for his ways to be predictable by mere humans, but his loving heart never changes.
Everything God does – even his anger and judgments – is driven by love. Behind his every action beats a tender heart that longs to forgive and bless.
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