How Do We Treat Jesus: Despised

(This message was taught on the 24th of September 2023)
Whilst Jesus walked the earth, he interacted with many people. Most of these interactions ended with a great miracle or life changing massage. Even with this, not everyone treated Jesus well, even those who were close to him.

 
We all look at the various biblical figures and take inspiration from the things they said and did. But there are those we look at and wonder, how could they do that? What we fail to realise is that we too behave in the same way.

Our behaviour towards Jesus and the things of God aren’t always what they should be. We sometimes treat him worse than unbelievers.
We’re going to look at how different people in the bible treated Jesus and how we also do the same.
 
Despised Jesus
To despise someone means to look down on them. It means hating them and seeing them as having little or no value.

The pharisees, regularly despised Jesus and tried to discredit him. They constantly tested Jesus, attempting to make him out to be a fraud. When he performed miracles, they would question his authority and the source of his power, Matthew 12:22-24. No matter what Jesus did, the Pharisees would always object because they saw him as a trouble maker. He was tearing down many of the traditions that they had built up, bringing the people genuine hope, and showing them what it really meant to be The Lord's chosen. 

In Genesis 25:34, Esau despised his birthright. In one moment, he thought food to be more important than something that was his right to have. In many cultures, birth order is very important, being the first born brings not just responsibilities but also certain benefits.
Esau was on the verge of being handed something that he hadn't worked for, but threw it away for a stew that would only satisfy him for a moment. He put more value over a simple pot of food and not what was waiting for him in his father's hands.

We too, regularly despise Jesus. We don’t give value to God’s word, opting to scroll through social media instead.
We don’t value fellowship, but instead stay in our beds or pick up extra shifts at work.
We don’t value church, speaking negatively about the house of God.
We don’t value the Holy Spirit, we discredit what he does by saying it's not real.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Matthew 6:19-21

We should treasure the things of God because they are His gift to us. To place greater value on worldly things, is no diffent than telling God that his gifts have no worth.