Rejected Like Jesus
Lately, I’ve been feeling very lonely. Yes, I have a loving wife, but I still feel alone. I moved from New York to Florida almost two years ago and have zero friends here. I at least thought my friends from back home would call once in a while and not kick me to the curb.
I also took for granted my family in New York. My mom and my two brothers are my best friends, but I can’t regularly see them. My dad passed in 2021 and that too has contributed to my feelings of solitude.
Jesus was rejected by people he held close to him as well. My friends from the Northeast have almost all dropped out of my life for one reason or another. I always tried to help them by offering my love in their times of despair. But as the saying goes “out of sight, out of mind.”
What Does Out of Sight Out of Mind Mean? (thewordcounter.com)
My older and wiser brother always said I expected too much from people. Maybe he’s correct. I should be helping others alleviate their pain just because it’s the Christian thing to do, not out of an expectation they will return the favor.
It’s been mentioned in my column before, but most of my Jewish friends are puzzled by my decision to worship Jesus. Maybe I’m reading into it, but it looks like they view it as a stab in the back.
Jesus is with Me
I’ve even had close friends lecture me on how my views make no sense and I should return to the synagogue. Whatever it may be, I feel hurt and abandoned. Being a follower of Christ is tougher than I ever imagined. This is despite my knowledge that Jesus is with me.
I’m no Jesus, but he too felt despair at crucial times. His cry on the cross still sends chills down my back. “My God, my god, why have you forsaken me.” Mathew 27:46 NIV – About three in the afternoon Jesus – Bible Gateway
Jesus was facing death, unlike myself. But I believe the answers to this problem are in the bible.
Before I explain further, I want to share one of my favorite passages.
“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised and we held him in low esteem.”Isaiah 53:3 NIV – He was despised and rejected by – Bible Gateway
A Return to Helping Others
I tried to kick myself out of my blues yesterday by remembering to count my blessings. I have a wonderful wife and I still have my family, even if they are miles away.
I’ve always said love is the answer. With that in mind, I have been praying to Jesus for help with my issue. And the main thing that has been coming into my head repeatedly after prayer is to be grateful. Count my blessings and help others.
So, I changed my prayer up a bit last night by asking him to put me in situations where I could help others less fortunate. Then, some new ideas popped into my head.
First, I decided to donate to my favorite charity Feeding America. You can do the same at U.S. Hunger Relief Organization | Feeding America. They provide healthy meals for those in need.
Then, I decided to send a few emails to old friends I’ve lost touch with who I thought may need a helping hand. I’m still waiting to hear from them, and perhaps like other times in the past, I won’t. But that’s not going to slow me down.
I want to help as many people as possible. I can hope for a response but should not do anything out of an expectation of one. Perhaps Jesus is letting me know that he has been with me always. He wants me to stop feeling sorry for myself even if I was rejected by my own people. For Jesus understands this completely as pointed out in John 1:11.
“He came to his own and those who were his own did not receive him” John 1:11 NIV – He came to that which was his own, but – Bible Gateway
I am no Jesus, but I am moving full force ahead in trying to help people. There’s no expectations, only love. And no, I don’t feel lonely now.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on this page. Have you been abandoned too due to your beliefs? Next week, I will tackle exactly why Reform Judaism turned me off.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In