By Banah Isaac Wright’s Hollow, New Hampshire
February 26, 2024
A Glory Story
Understanding
I was lying in bed the other morning, really wanting to not get up out of the warm covers, (morning temperature being around 20 degrees, and the fire needed coaxing) and going over John Chapter One in the Gospels.
Verse 11, referring to Jesus, says, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”
“Received Him not” stuck right out. Similar words and phrases began listing themselves, as it were, in my brain.
“Received Him not”=Shunned Him
“Received Him not”=Ostracized Him
“Received Him not”=Disowned Him
“Received Him not”=Expelled Him
“Received Him not”=Cut Him dead
“Received Him not”=Cancelled Him
It’s nothing new. We humans have a habit of doing this to anyone we don’t like, or feel uncomfortable around, especially if they shine too much light on our dark corners, or if, by simple difference, we feel dislike, or maybe because others tell us to, and it’s accepted, even if cruel, we attack and justify it. As humans, we can manage to do all sorts of things that are bad by first convincing ourselves that what we do is somehow good.
But the act, in the heart, of “not receiving” truly springs forth from a spirit of murder. And all too often, that nurtured spirit gives birth to actual physical harm, or social harm, or even outright murder.
This list of synonyms was going through my head and landed, like an arrow, right on what is happening in the world today, and specifically in America, to our Jewish citizens.
The climate of hostility that has justified so much “cancellation” of fellow human beings in recent years, for one reason or another, has centered, at present, on Jewish people with an unreasoning, vitriolic hatred engendered by deliberate wrong teaching in places of education and egged on by media reporting that is, at best, lax. Incomplete. Hostile to Jews. A pack of murderous lies.
What one of us would not want to protect home and family?
Do we really want anarchy and murder as a solution to America’s ills?
“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him, He gave the power to become children of God, in His Name, born, not of blood, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
It doesn’t matter who does what. I’m not pointing fingers, since we’ve all done this to each other at sometime or other. All through history.
But it’s time for Glory to fill the earth. The door is open. Walk through and behold Him.
fromanislandinnewhampshire 
Good words
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Thank you, Michael, they just came.
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I, also, wanted to add that too often we gloss over such phrases such as ‘received Him not’, failing to mine the ramifications of what God is telling us so that we can avoid many problems.
So, I really like how you unpacked this for us
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I was half asleep. It came like a gleam of light.
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Interesting how this works. I was reading these verses just last month and thought about how awful it was for Jesus to be treated so harshly by his own possessions (the world).
What does this say about humans to have this record of rejection by his own people, by his own disciples, by the theocratic chiefs, etc?
Thanks for these words Kathleen.
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You write about it everyday in the stories of atrocities done by people from every level of society, and the depravity of it is incomprehensible sometimes. But it is a glimpse of what we are capable of without Him. But Jesus? “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (NAS) or “grasp it.” “Get it” or “Overcome it” or even touch Him. It took that much to save us from ourselves. Mind bending.
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Praise God the door to God is always open, no matter what we’ve done! God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to him with a contrite heart (2 Peter 3:9) and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).
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Open wide to a contrite heart, yes, that’s all it takes. O world, turn and receive Him! Thanks, Nancy.
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During Easter service, our pastor touched on this, but ever so lightly. He gives a good service but is a bit skittish about offending his flock. A few months ago, we were guest in a church members home to hear Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of Ted Cruz, Texas Senator. Pastor Cruz is a no nonsense, old school believer, having fled Cuba as a young man after being imprisoned there. He speaks the truth whether folks want to hear it or not. He feels that if one is against Israel, one is against Gods chosen people and our young are being hi-jacked by Muslims that are here on work and education visa’s, to hate Jews and America, and it is our American churches responsibility to bring their flock into the fold, and circle the wagons against the evil that is upon us. I like what you say in your writing. My blog tends to be a tongue and cheek take on world events, so your is refreshing to read.
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That is such a great compliment, Phil, thank you. One of my friends calls me a “truth teller,” which is sometimes a tough thing to be, but I’m with you. Our churches must speak up! Tongue in cheek is also a very good way to get truth across; don’t stop! We each have our gifts.
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I’m with ya on this.
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