We hadn’t seen him since he was a tiny baby. But the 20-year-old soldier called my parents to let them know he was passing through our town and would love a place to stay.
His parents and mine were friends. Our dads had served overseas together with the US Navy. And for years his parents had mailed a Christmas newsletter that kept them connected to all their military friends. So, it was natural for Drew to reach out to us when he was passing through on his way to a new military assignment.
That’s why it puzzles me that Mary and Joseph couldn’t find a place to stay in Bethlehem. When she gave birth to Jesus, “she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place” (Luke 2:7, TLB).
When someone rejects you because of your faith
Why couldn’t they find a place to stay in the town Joseph was from? No doubt there were distant relatives there, perhaps even old family friends. And at a time when hospitality was both a cultural and religious obligation, it’s hard to imagine how a woman near her due date would have such a hard time finding someone to take her in.
Granted, the town would have been filled to the brim. But surely a woman so close to giving birth would ignite compassion from a relative?
My mind starts reeling when I try to imagine the reasons they were left out in the proverbial cold. Had everyone rejected her? After all, surely rumor mills grind into action with or without the help of social media.
And if that was the case―if Mary found herself shunned by everyone who knew her―what a huge sorrow she had to bear. When someone rejects you because of your faith, it’s a painful pill to swallow.
Yet, Mary swallowed it. No matter the cost to her, she remained faithful to God’s calling on her life
How convicting that is to my tender ego. I don’t want to walk across the street to introduce myself to a new neighbor for fear they may not welcome my intrusion. I’m reluctant to speak the truth when it’s unpopular. I don’t want to reach out to someone who’s hard to love because what if they reject my gestures? And I don’t want to go where someone may make me uncomfortable.
Mary endured. She did the hard thing. Her cousin Elizabeth had reassured and reminded her that “you are the most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed!” (Luke 1:42, HCSB).
Acceptance
What other people thought about her wasn’t Mary’s main concern. Instead, she was wholly devoted to God’s calling on her life. She believed He had chosen her, and that He would bless her.
When someone rejects you because of your faith, it’s helpful to remember that blessings come when we place our trust in God rather than in the people around us. When we rely on God alone, our intimacy with Him grows. Then we can say with sincerity, “let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go because I long for You” (Psalm 143:8, HCSB).
Lord, help me to take my eyes off other people and place them on You. Bless me with a closer walk with You.
