Rejection

Passage for reflection: Matthew 21: 33 - 46

I was asked to judge a cookie baking competition on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the residents of one of the care homes in Ripon met me on Zoom for my verdict. The cookies had been left on my doorstep for me to taste. I was worried I’d upset those I didn’t choose to win. The last time I did judging was an Easter bonnet competition for children and those I didn’t choose as winners got very upset! Wednesday afternoon went okay. The folk had fun and they all enjoyed taking part and they all got a certificate which said “we made cookies today, and it was fab.”

I mentioned I was doing this on Facebook. I love the story a colleague in Cumbria told me. He said, “ I had to judge a lovely legs competition at the local WI. They all stood on the stage and the curtain was lifted, just so I could see the legs. I made my choice and made a speedy exit.”’!!!

Like the children I didn’t choose in the Easter bonnet competition, some people cannot cope with rejection. We all remember job interviews where we were not successful. The matching process for ministers is hard. I’ve mostly been alright through it except for one occasion where I was matched to a very large town centre church and a Superintendency and I was put through ten rounds of an ecclesiastical boxing match (I lost every round) and I was told I was “grossly inexperienced” and I was rejected, not just rejected but devalued and rubbished. 

I feel at the moment for those people who through Covid have been made redundant and who now will struggle to find a new job, especially those who are of a certain age. To suddenly face insecurity through no fault of your own and to have rejection letter after rejection letter is horrific.    

In the bible story for this Sunday, Jesus tells a story to make it clear what happens if religiosity becomes excluding and rejecting and even bullying people away. 

A landowner established a vineyard complete with a fence, a winepress, and even a watchtower. He then became an absentee landowner, returning to his own country as often happened back then in the far-flung territories of the Roman Empire. Tenants were in charge of overseeing the productivity of the vineyard and paying their rent to the owner at harvest time, in the form of a share of the produce. 

In this story, when the owner's slaves arrived to collect his share of the produce, the tenants attacked them, even beating one and killing another. The owner of the vineyard then simply sent another delegation of slaves to collect the rent. 

Those slaves were treated even worse than the first. Surely by now the owner would send in troops or some form of armed enforcement of his rights! But no, instead he sends his son, thinking by some logic that the thugs who have abused two delegations of slaves will respect the owner's son and heir. How foolish! In parallel folly the tenants reason that if they kill the son, they will get his inheritance. 

And Jesus makes two points about rejection.

One, the story is about him and the authorities who question what he is playing at. The story in Matthew 21 comes just after Jesus has entered Jerusalem to adoring crowds, but also huge political and spiritual suspicion about him and impending threat to his life. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” That which the powerful, even parts of the Church reject, builds a new holy space where different values and behaviour flourishes. 

And two, the Kingdom will be taken away from the ones who behave so atrociously. The rejected run the show! “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.”

Jesus might be rejected and despised and killed and placed in a tomb behind a huge stone, but that isn’t the end of the story. The stone is rolled away, the cornerstone, weak in the world’s eyes, becomes the foundation of all we try and do to be his people. 

Who are the rejected today?

Those who aren’t worth our attention.

Those of a different skin colour or sexual orientation. 

Those who aren’t given a chance because they are rubbished before they even start. 

Those who are easy pickings to shout at and ridicule because we like a target to tell they do nothing right so we destroy them mentally and turn them into people who just think they aren’t good enough.

Small churches which we think should be shut. How arrogant are we when we think we can judge what happens in a place we know very little about. 

For me, the story Jesus tells reminds me of where he went for me, to suffering, to rejection and to death. We will kill anything that might destroy our own ambition to stop us keeping the rent for ourselves. It reminds me the times I feel rejected won’t last, and to keep going, with my faithful doing of what I think is right which will produce fruit. Those who reject me through words and actions will in the end destroy themselves. We hold on. There is life beyond rejection and death —- always. 

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. 

Give in to it.

There are plenty of lives 

and whole towns destroyed or about to be.

We are not wise, and not very often kind.

And much can never be redeemed.

Still life has some possibility left.

Perhaps this is its way of fighting back,

that sometimes something happened

better than all the riches or power in the world.

It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins.

Anyway, that’s often the case.

Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty.

Joy is not made to be a crumb.“

― Mary Oliver

I love that poem. Amid rejection, remember you are accepted, even if you are “grossly inexperienced” and your cookie or Easter bonnet is never picked. Jesus quoted Psalm 118 to his sniping and snarling audience he told this story to. Basically saying you can do what you like to me — you won’t have the last word.

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”