It is one thing to be rejected by those we don’t like, but it is entirely another thing to be rejected by those we have poured our lives into – the people who know us and have done things together perhaps for years.

This is why divorce hurts so much. We are being rejected by the one who was one with us! And this is also why it hurts so much when our children rebel against us. (I’m dreading my girls’ teen years…)

King David knows something about this. He said, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” Ps. 41:9

But who cares if King David knew how that felt? What’s that got to do with us? But you should know by now that the Psalm is not about David, but it is about Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who was rejected by his disciples whom He shared His last bread with. It was His #1 disciple who denied Him three times at the weakest moment of His life. It was the very people of Israel, whom He came to save, that shouted “crucify Him, crucify Him!” So, I’d say Jesus knows something about being backstabbed.

But how is that better? How is Jesus better than David? What’s THAT still got to do with us?

David was a man. Jesus was and is God. He was not showing us an example to follow, but He was being rejected in our place on our behalf. But why do we still get rejected from our friends if He got rejected for us? Didn’t He get rejected so that we won’t get rejected anymore? Yes. But not from our friends but from God – the only being that we were created for. And if we have truly grasped it, then being rejected by friends or even family, we can endure.

It would not be wrong to say that God lets us experience pain, rejection, failure, separation, so that we will look to Jesus who also suffered, was rejected, failed and was separated, and find Him beautiful and lovely.

PH