27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A – OCTOBER 5

OUR GOD, UNAFRAID OF REJECTION

All around us are signs of rejection:  Do Not Disturb.  No Solicitations Allowed. For Employees Only.  No Uniform, No Entry. I once entered a village where the gate had this caption:  No ID, No Entry.  But as we were going out through another gate, there was another caption:  No ID, No Exit.  Interesting!

This is symptomatic of a society that rejects its people.  The elderly are banished from the home.  Deformed babies are aborted.  More traumatic rejections happen between superiors and subordinates, teachers and students, priests and flock or even between two people in love.  Even in our families, we too feel the rejection of our loved ones.

That explains why we are so allergic of rejection.  We want to insulate ourselves from the pain and the embarrassment of being refused entry into another person’s heart.  So many self-help books, counseling sessions and psychological processing are circulating nowadays to help people overcome experiences of rejection or to destroy their fear of it.

In the gospel today, God shows us that unlike most people today, he is not afraid of rejection.  This has been God’s repeated experience in Israel and throughout all of human history.  Until now, so many people reject God at the center of their lives.  He is still part of our lives, yes, but not anymore a decisive part.  The rejection of the gospel continues today.  But is God deterred by our insensitive hearts?

God does not give up.  In the gospel, in order to reach out to the tenants, he sent his servants who were maltreated by the tenants.  He sent more servants who fared no better.  He sent Jesus his Son even if he knew he would be killed.  God does not give up.  He persists in his offer.  What gives God this confidence in the face of rejection? His love is sincere and strong.  He truly wants the best for all his children.  That is why he has no fear, no shame, no hesitation in approaching us even if we reject him.

Do we pay attention to this persistence?  Do you pretend not hearing God calling you to serve in the church? Do you ignore his voice directing you to a life of offering and sacrifice?  Some people clearly know that God wants them to consecrate their relationships, their businesses, their families to him, but they ignore the whispers of the Lord.  Many of us are sure what favorite sins we need to abandon to live pleasing lives, but we simply refuse to listen and obey.  If we continue ignoring God, he will continue reminding us. The unexplainable dryness and sadness we feel inside of us is oftentimes an indication that we fail to allow the Lord to lead us by the hand.

In our relations with each other, many of us are also afraid of rejection. We know that our friend or family member is engaged in activities that destroy him/ her but we do not say word. We know that we need to do something to help a neighbor but we do not lift a finger, out of fear or out of shame.  Should God not then be our model in sincere love and concern for those who err?

Let us allow God to enter our lives and be the sovereign within.  Let us conquer fear of rejection when we see others led astray or deserting the truth.