Salvation Steps Out of Rejection

~~~ Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 ~~~

Both readings today foreshadow the death of Jesus.

Joseph and the son of the vineyard owner were both rejected.

Joseph was rejected by his own brothers.

They were jealous of him thinking that he 

was favored by their father.

The son of the vineyard owner 

was likewise rejected by those employed by his father.

They had no respect even for the boss's son.

They saw him as a threat to their share of the profits.

They plotted to give themselves a greater portion 

of the inheritance by killing the primary heir.

There is no coincidence that the church gives 

us these parallel readings today.

Joseph is rescued from the well and eventually is reunited 

with his father and brothers.

For many years they were separated.

Their father, so grief stricken oven the loss of his youngest son,

 was sad and depressed.

The brothers concede to their guilty conscience

 and spare the life of Joseph.

But evil still resided in their heart.

Now they are overcome with greed;

they decide to sell their own brother.

They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

Monetary greed is also the motivating factor

 for the workers in the vineyard.

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’

Perhaps what we should be considering is how God always provides.

God arranged for Joseph to be sold into slavery 

so that later he would be in a position to save 

his entire family from starvation.

Rejection is not always the worst possible situation.

Sometimes the one who is initially rejected later

 is found in the key position.

To answer the call of God to be a better person often 

requires us to exercise great self control.

Joseph had to face his brothers again 

knowing how much they wanted him 'out of the way'.

Ultimately he made the choice to forgive in spite of his understanding.

To a certain extent we have all participated in the killing of Jesus.

He, with this knowledge, chose to forgive us.

His forgiveness gave us so much more than bread for the next day.

His love and mercy does more

 than fills our growling stomach.

He wants us to join him in heaven for all eternity.

Jesus was rejected as the corner stone and becomes 

THE most important person of all time.

Most of us have an innate fear of rejection,

but it is not necessarily a negative.

Rejection did not stop Joseph 

and it certainly did not stop Jesus from saving us.

You might say rejection was part of the plan 

from the very beginning.

Without the rejection there may not 

have been a salvation.

We could say...

Rejection led to our Salvation.

Rejection is equal to our Salvation.

Salvation stepped out of Rejection victorious in the end.

Blessed beyond words or feelings.

Blessed even if rejected by loved ones.

Peace.