# The way of faith: handling rejection
*2015-03-08*

> Bill Young reflects on the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus is rejected by his own hometown, and discusses how we can find strength in God when we face our own heartbreaks.

## Rejection in Nazareth

In today's reading from Luke 4:24, 28-30, we see Jesus attempting to preach in his hometown of Nazareth. He tells the people, 'Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.' Upon hearing this, those in the synagogue were filled with rage. They drove Him out of the town and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, intending to hurl Him off the cliff. However, He passed through the midst of them and went on His way.

## The pain of the human heart

None of us are strangers to rejection. Whether it happens through a situation at work, a tragedy, or within our own marriages and families, the pain of rejection haunts the human heart. In this passage, Jesus was simply announcing His identity and His mission to the people gathered for prayer, yet they responded by throwing Him out of the synagogue and attempting to kill Him.

## Finding the courage to continue

When this occurred, one might wonder: Did Jesus wonder if He was doing the right thing? Did He doubt His vocation? In the lines that follow this disturbing rejection, we learn that He set off immediately to Galilee to continue His teaching. He soon found that the people in these other towns admired Him. God gave Him the courage and strength to keep preaching the Kingdom.

*When our hearts are broken by rejection, we must run to God for the strength to continue our mission.*