Joel M Bradshaw

16“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”–Luke 10

As a pastor who counsels I have experienced both sides of these reactions. I recall one young man who received biblical counsel well and made great changes to his life as he trusted God. I recall another young man who didn’t like what the Bible said about his issue and stopped meeting with me because of it. I will admit after spending months journeying with that second man, his leaving felt like a rejection. I had to remind myself of the perspective contained in today’s verse.

Jesus was speaking to his disciples as he sent them out to minister in the surrounding communities. Some would accept them and others reject. But how they were received would communicate their reception of Jesus and ultimately to the Father. That last connection would have stung in a Jewish world which prided itself on knowing and serving Adonai.

Make the ministry you do about Jesus. Represent him in the words you say, the actions you do, and the attitudes you display. Make your message more about the Bible than about your opinion. What I think about the Bible might have value, but it is nowhere near as important as the Scripture itself. If you are intentional about representing Jesus and making your message Biblical, then the other person’s reaction is more about Jesus and less about you.

I pray for that second young man and consider him a friend. I want the best for him and pray that he denies himself, picks up his ‘cross’ daily, and follows Jesus. As the Bible convicts, I pray that each of us listen and obey its message. As always, I have to stay intentional or my own selfishness naturally gets in the way.–JMB