“SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER”
Daily Spiritual Reflections
28th September 2021
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TUESDAY, TWENTY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Zec 8: 20-23; Ps 87: 1-7; Lk 9: 51-56
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HANDLING REJECTION LIKE JESUS
The life we live here on earth is not a bed of roses. Often we face some kind of rejection and humiliation from the persons with whom we live, but the beauty of our lives depends on how we respond to these situations. We can respond in two ways: the divine approach, forgiving our persecutors and doing good to them; and the human approach by taking vengeance and ruining their lives.
Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem to give himself into the hands of the people to be crucified according to His father’s will. St Luke introduces this, “when the days drew near”, the time for Jesus to fulfil the words of the prophets. Jesus was aware and prepared for what was in store for him in Jerusalem. In the second part of the gospel, we see the love Jesus has for humanity. When he faced rejection, he chose the divine approach, whereas the disciples were quick to the human approach. When the Samaritans were not ready to receive Jesus, the disciples desired to rain fire down from the heavens to consume them. But, Jesus rebukes them. “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world or people, but to save the world through him” (cf. Jn 3:17).
Where there is true charity there is no room for anger; in other words, we should not treat the weakness of others with vengeance but help them overcome their weakness with love. We often come across various kinds of rejection from others. It may be from our bosses, teachers, parents, children, relatives etc. How do we respond to them? Do we wait for the opportunities to take revenge on them or do we forgive them?
God loves us even though we reject him each day with our sinful lives. Yet he is always willing to walk towards the cross to redeem us. Who can love us more than this? How can we then not be charitable to the people in our lives? For when we are charitable, we show others that God is with us.
Response: God is with us.
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