Suggested Reading: Luke 2:25-35
In the late 90s, Will Smith starred in a movie called Independence Day. In the movie, aliens invaded Earth on July 2, wiping out major cities and claiming the planet for themselves. As the movie began, the audience was introduced to a father, a drunkard who couldn't hold down a steady job because he constantly flew his crop-duster over the wrong fields. His children were ashamed of him, and they cringed whenever he mentioned his own “alien abduction” several years earlier. But on July 4, as the militaries of Earth were striking back against the alien invaders with whatever pilots happened to be left, this drunkard of a father found himself sobered up and sitting in the cockpit of a state-of-the-art fighter jet, streaking toward an alien vessel. Out of missiles, the squadron’s leader called the retreat, but this father had one missile left and fired it, only to discover that it was jammed. Taking one last look at a picture of his children, this father took aim at the primary weapon of the alien ship, radioed a message to his children, and crashed his plane into the alien vessel, destroying the vessel and eliminating the threat. This father knew he would die, but he flew into the enemy vessel anyway because it was the only way to save his children.
In the late 90s, Will Smith starred in a movie called Independence Day. In the movie, aliens invaded Earth on July 2, wiping out major cities and claiming the planet for themselves. As the movie began, the audience was introduced to a father, a drunkard who couldn't hold down a steady job because he constantly flew his crop-duster over the wrong fields. His children were ashamed of him, and they cringed whenever he mentioned his own “alien abduction” several years earlier. But on July 4, as the militaries of Earth were striking back against the alien invaders with whatever pilots happened to be left, this drunkard of a father found himself sobered up and sitting in the cockpit of a state-of-the-art fighter jet, streaking toward an alien vessel. Out of missiles, the squadron’s leader called the retreat, but this father had one missile left and fired it, only to discover that it was jammed. Taking one last look at a picture of his children, this father took aim at the primary weapon of the alien ship, radioed a message to his children, and crashed his plane into the alien vessel, destroying the vessel and eliminating the threat. This father knew he would die, but he flew into the enemy vessel anyway because it was the only way to save his children.
Simeon was an elderly man who
prophesied over the infant Jesus when his parents brought him into the temple
complex to be redeemed as the firstborn child of his family. Having
announced that Jesus had come to upset destiny, Simeon declared that
Jesus had come to be a sign that will be spoken against (Luke 2:34, NIV).
Jesus had come as the Savior of the world, to save the world from itself, yet
he would be spoken against. He would be rejected. Having read the rest of
the story, we know that Jesus’ rejection would lead to his torture and to his
death. As the eternal Son of God, Jesus knew the pain and hardship he would endure. Yet Jesus came
anyway. Jesus knew he would be rejected, tortured, and killed, but Jesus also
knew that his rejection and death were necessary to save us. So Jesus
came anyway, willingly enduring rejection.
We have heard this story over and over again. The idea that
Jesus had knowingly come to die is not new to us. The idea of sacrifice, like
the father from Independence Day, is
not new to us. And yet, while we often aspire to maintain an attitude of
self-sacrifice, being willing to lay down our lives if necessary, I wonder how
often we are willing to be rejected. Torture and death are one thing. We can
steel ourselves against them, knowing there will be an end to them. But
rejection is different and hurts on an entirely different level. Rejection is
something that hurts our hearts.
Are we willing to be rejected? Are we willing to do what is
necessary to help people, even knowing those people won’t understand and will probably turn
on us? Are we willing to help people who will never thank us for stepping in to
save the day? Are we willing to risk broken hearts as willingly as we risk
broken bodies? Are we willing to climb out on a limb for someone, knowing they
will probably chop it off behind us? Jesus was. Jesus did. And he calls us to
follow his example.
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