He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Isaiah 53:3 NIV
Despised and Rejected
Back in October 2022, Canadian MPs rejected an attempt by a Quebec opposition party to push the country to cut ties with the British crown, voting down the Bloc Quebecois’s parliamentary motion by an overwhelming margin. The tally in the House of Commons was 266 against, but only 44 votes in favour. The effort stood little chance of success as Canada — a constitutional monarchy that has King Charles III as its symbolic “head of state” — requires the consent of both houses of parliament and all of its provinces to split from the United Kingdom’s monarchy.
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It didn’t take long for Jesus to understand what it meant to be despised and rejected. That was certainly the case when he faced the mock trial and horrific travesty of justice that marked His crucifixion. But Jesus faced rejection as a young toddler, when he and his family had to flee to Egypt for fear of their lives when evil Herod, in a jealous rage, in an effort to rid Israel of the Promised King of the Jews, declared that all boys in Bethlehem under two years of age would be put to death. This was just the beginning. It wasn’t long into Jesus’ ministry that the religious leaders began to look for ways to kill Him. No wonder the prophet would write this about Him in Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we who love and honour Him shouldn’t be surprised that many, still, despise and reject Him. They do so to their own demise.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley