Jesus on Rejection – Shake it Off
In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus teaches his disciples a powerful lesson about handling rejection. He tells them that if they encounter rejection, they should shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against those towns. This act symbolizes moving on from those who refuse to listen without letting rejection hinder their mission.
Shaking the dust off was about letting go of negativity and hurt and moving forward. Yes, you got rejected, but don’t dwell on it. There’s work that needs to be done. There’s a whole group of people who have not heard the Gospel. Our purpose isn’t defined by those who reject us. Jesus advises us not to get caught up in the rejection but rather to concentrate on the mission and the people who do want to listen.
If you’ve ever come to my home, you would typically be expected to take your shoes off. This is not only a cultural thing for me but also about cleanliness. Think about it: you walk all over town, stepping on everything imaginable. Unlike our clothes, which we wash regularly, when did you last wash your shoes? Exactly. Never. Then, you’re just going to walk into the house with all that dirt and filth? It’s pretty disgusting when you think about it.
This concept follows Jesus’s example. When you leave a town or a home where you stepped on something unpleasant, you don’t want to take that with you to the next place. You should shake it off.
There is no need to carry baggage to the next home or town. Leave your baggage behind and travel light. Jesus’ message is clear: don’t let the load you’ve been carrying weigh you down.
Otherwise, you’ll get held up. The baggage and filth you carry will prevent you from fully experiencing the goodness of the next home and town. Don’t become self-reliant, as that will surely weigh you down. When we have everything on our checklist checked off, we don’t allow for the Holy Spirit to move. We have no need for God when we rely solely on ourselves.
Some of us still carry baggage from 10-20 years ago. And it’s not getting any lighter. Some of us have not been able to shake off the dust, the hurt, the pain, the negativity, the gossip, the negative thinking, the trauma from childhood, the abuse, the mistreatment, the worrying, the illness, the bad vibes, the overeating, the overspending, the laziness, the disrespect, the anger, the suicidal thoughts, the loneliness, the darkness we’re in, or the rejection from various sources. We just can’t shake it off. Today, Jesus is calling you to shake it off and bring to him what you have not been able to shake off.
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