Rejection (Lk 10:16-10:16)

“Whoever listens

To you,

Listens

To me.

Whoever rejects you,

Rejects me.

Whoever rejects me,

Rejects the one

Who sent me.”

 

Ὁ ἀκούων ὑμῶν ἐμοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ ὁ ἀθετῶν ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ ἀθετεῖ· ὁ δὲ ἐμὲ ἀθετῶν ἀθετεῖ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that whoever listened to his disciples (Ὁ ἀκούων ὑμῶν), listened to him (ἐμοῦ ἀκούει).  Whoever rejected them (καὶ ὁ ἀθετῶν ὑμᾶς), rejected him (ἐμὲ ἀθετεῖ).  Whoever rejected Jesus (ὁ δὲ ἐμὲ ἀθετῶν), rejected the one who sent him (ὁ δὲ ἐμὲ ἀθετῶν).  This is somewhat similar to Matthew, chapter 18:5, Luke, chapter 9:48, and Mark, chapter 9:37.  However, there the story was about welcoming, receiving, or accepting a little child.  Then they would welcome Jesus and then the one who sent him.  Anyone who accepted this little child in Jesus’ name, welcomed Jesus and his Father, the one who sent him.  Here, there is no mention of a child.  They were to listen to Jesus and his disciples.  If they listened to the disciples, they listened to him.  However, if they rejected his disciples, they were rejecting him and the one who sent him.  The emphasis here was on rejection, not acceptance.  Do you accept and listen to the representatives of Jesus?