Jesus' life was marked with a sort of disappointing rejection. At the very beginning there was no room for Him in the inn. As miraculous as the glory of the Lord shinning around the shepherds and directing them to honor the birth of Jesus is, Jesus deserved more fanfare. All knowing Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, but I wonder if Mary was ever disappointed by the lack of celebration for her son. Before you assume Mary was too humble for such a thought, ask yourself if your mamma bear instincts will come out if your kid is benched for another little league game?
We read few details about the childhood of our savior but we know He was questioned, rejected, harassed, misunderstood, undervalued, lied about, betrayed and eventually crucified.
In Mark 2 we read about Jesus healing the paralyzed man. This part of scripture is often used to teach friendship, perseverance, and faith. I was praying for two dear friends who were dealing with some heavy disappointment when Mark 2:2 jumped out at me, "They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them." We go on to read about the four faithful friends who made an opening in the roof to lower their friend to the Healer. For the first time I was focused not on the friends, the sick, or the healing but the turn of events from Luke 2:7. From no room to overflowing!
We often hear our problems, failures, and disappointments are all sent to distract us from our relationship with the Lord. But what if every circumstance comes with two invitations? One invitation is to draw near to the Lord, while the other is to draw from our own strength and understanding. Ephesians 4:26 directs to be angry but do not sin. I can wrongly think the bible encourages us not to be angry or disappointed at all. Where is the redemption in not feeling? Maybe a more noble goal is to be disappointed but not complain. Victory can start when we are connected to our savior in our experience.
If Mary, Jesus or anyone else was disappointed by the inn keeper, I wonder if they felt the redemption of God on the day Mark 2 was written about. I think the four friends, caring the burden of their friend's handicap were honest about the problem and the need for a solution, and their honesty created a door...in the ceiling...that led to Jesus.
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