Luke 2:22-35
When the time came for Mary’s
purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the
birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord;
for in these laws God had said, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he shall be
dedicated to the Lord.” At that time Jesus’ parents also offered their
sacrifice for purification—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons”
was the legal requirement. That day a man named Simeon, a Jerusalem resident,
was in the Temple. He was a good man, very devout, filled with the Holy Spirit
and constantly expecting the Messiah to come soon. For the Holy Spirit had
revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him—God’s anointed
King. The Holy Spirit had impelled him to go to the Temple that day; and so,
when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience
to the law, Simeon was there and took the child in his arms, praising God.
“Lord,” he said, “now I can die content! For I have seen him as you promised me
I would. I have seen the Savior you have given to the world. He is the Light
that will shine upon the nations, and he will be the glory of your people
Israel!” Joseph and Mary just stood there, marveling at what was being said
about Jesus. Simeon blessed them but then said to Mary, “A sword shall pierce
your soul, for this child shall be rejected by many in Israel, and this to
their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy of many others. And the deepest
thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed.”
Food for thought!
Full of the Holy Spirit, Simeon mentioned something that we
must consider. He said that Jesus shall be rejected by many in Israel. In his
life he was misunderstood almost on a daily basis. Right from the beginning
Jesus was misunderstood. Although he made the world, the world did not
recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, the
Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. (John
1:10-12). Jesus is the most misunderstood man that ever lived. Many things he
said were misunderstood; also many of his deeds, the miracles, were also
misunderstood.
Jesus was misunderstood by his inner family; by his disciples; by his wider family; by the Romans; and by the world. By looking at the misunderstandings of Jesus, we will come to understand the dynamics of our own misunderstanding, its pain, and know how to deal with it. Sometimes, a sword pierces our souls when we are rejected. This is so because it is hard to understand how someone we love or trust could ever misunderstand and reject us. To fully understand why misunderstanding and rejection occur, we must take a look Jesus. Even good people like Jesus can be misunderstood and rejected!
When you are called to have influence, you are constantly in the limelight. Because your life is on display for all to see, there will be times that you will be falsely accused and persecuted for doing what God has called you to do. People who have stepped up to make a difference for God in the world must expect to be stepped on by critics and cynics.
If Jesus, the Son of God, was one of the most misunderstood people on the planet, God will most certainly allow you to walk through the frustration of being misunderstood. You cannot make public impact without public scrutiny and criticism. I have found that the ones who are willing to criticize are usually the ones who aren’t doing anything to help or make a difference in the world. Notice also that critics are usually those with loud voices and little accomplishments. Encourage yourself in the Lord by remembering that even Jesus was misunderstood and truly empathizes with you in your frustration. You are not alone and knowing that God is for you will make all the difference!
Jesus was misunderstood by his inner family; by his disciples; by his wider family; by the Romans; and by the world. By looking at the misunderstandings of Jesus, we will come to understand the dynamics of our own misunderstanding, its pain, and know how to deal with it. Sometimes, a sword pierces our souls when we are rejected. This is so because it is hard to understand how someone we love or trust could ever misunderstand and reject us. To fully understand why misunderstanding and rejection occur, we must take a look Jesus. Even good people like Jesus can be misunderstood and rejected!
When you are called to have influence, you are constantly in the limelight. Because your life is on display for all to see, there will be times that you will be falsely accused and persecuted for doing what God has called you to do. People who have stepped up to make a difference for God in the world must expect to be stepped on by critics and cynics.
If Jesus, the Son of God, was one of the most misunderstood people on the planet, God will most certainly allow you to walk through the frustration of being misunderstood. You cannot make public impact without public scrutiny and criticism. I have found that the ones who are willing to criticize are usually the ones who aren’t doing anything to help or make a difference in the world. Notice also that critics are usually those with loud voices and little accomplishments. Encourage yourself in the Lord by remembering that even Jesus was misunderstood and truly empathizes with you in your frustration. You are not alone and knowing that God is for you will make all the difference!
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