“And they ridiculed him.” (Matt 9:24)

Matthew makes it clear.
Jesus was ridiculed.

The One who came to heal the sick, comfort the broken-hearted, and to die so we could live was ridiculed.

He was ridiculed. He was made to feel ridiculous, and his good motives scorned.

It hurts my heart.

And if you’ve been trying to follow Christ for very long in this world, I bet you’ve been ridiculed too.

But knowing that even the Perfect Lamb was ridiculed comforts me when I’m ridiculed for my faith.

It emboldens me to believe I’m on the right track if I’m suffering for the cause of Christ.

It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

But it does mean I might identify with Jesus just a little bit more. And that’s a good thing.

What happened next in Matthew is also significant to me. After seeing Jesus ridiculed, and the ruler’s little girl healed, two blind men follow Jesus. (Matt 9:27).

They were watching and they followed the Lord crying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

And I have to believe that as we continue to follow Jesus even when we are ridiculed for our faith, others are watching too.

Oh, some will join in the ridicule but some may decide to follow after Jesus because of our steadfastness despite the ridicule.

For how good of a God that we hold on to!

Jesus told us, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12)

How blessed we are when we hold tight to Him. And perhaps, some of that reward is seeing others come to know Him.

And that, that’s worth it.

readMatthew

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