Rejection

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
The readings may be found here

The story of the Prophet Jeremiah is a tragic one. Despite his fidelity to the call and the Word of the Lord, Jeremiah experienced opposition, rejection, and deadly persecution. In these verses Jeremiah laments that mistreatment and calls upon the Lord. 
 
When you consider the similarity between the rejection faced by Jeremiah and that faced by Jesus, it is easy to imagine that Jesus might have thought about Jeremiah in moments like those in John 7. There Jesus faces misunderstanding among His own and hostility from the leadership. In this passage, Nicodemus offers an indirect defense only to find himself the object of fury.
 
It is perhaps tempting for us to look back on those who rejected the prophets and imagine that we would have been different. The honest truth is that it is entirely possible, even likely, that Jesus would have confounded and or scandalized us. If we look at our lives and the many moments and sins that constitute our own rejection of the Messiah, it might be best to adopt a stance of humility – to ask the Lord to give us the grace to recognize His presence and live His Word. 

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