Redefined

Who dares despise the day of small things?

Zechariah 4:10

Normally, I don’t want to feel small, but this is a good feeling while meditating on God’s word. As I read how Jesus walked this earth as a humble man and God, I wonder if he ever felt small. I wonder if my smallness is appropriate in other places/spaces, as if feelings of smallness are questioning my worth.

Jesus was and is man and God, and while he walked on this earth over 2,000 years ago healing people of their diseases and broken hearts, these good acts were cause for hatred from the Pharisees, a group of scholars who studied Scripture and were highly praised. When it came to Jesus, every good deed he performed only added fuel to the fire of the Pharisees. Their hateful reactions baffle me: Why would someone hate good deeds? The Pharisees expected a Messiah to come save them from the Roman Empire, but when Jesus arrived, born in Bethlehem (a very small village) by an unknown woman named Mary, they were not impressed. This ordinary human did not match up with the One to come they read about and hoped for! Their disbelief kept their hearts hard and separated from knowing the truth, that Jesus is the One to come and save the world! Regardless, they followed and watched him closely, criticizing every teaching and every miracle. Knowing the Pharisees stood amongst his audience wherever he went, at times I wonder whether or not Jesus felt small. When the Pharisees went where he went, did Jesus feel misunderstood?

The Pharisees’ criticisms were like a fly buzzing around. Although a fly is small, it can become an annoyance. Jesus knew the Pharisees’ hearts and what they thought of him. Their harsh words fueled doubt not only within themselves but also the people around them. Yet, Jesus knew who he was and his worth in His Heavenly Father’s eyes, as he states:

“Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.”

Matthew 23:26 NIV

In a nutshell, the Pharisees misplaced their understanding of Jesus. Jesus was not who they were expecting, not even a little bit. To be honest, I’m sure you can relate to being misunderstood and unloved for who God made you to be. Not meeting expectations of family and friends can feel suffocating, but God knows your heart, just like Jesus knew the Pharisees’ hearts.

Jesus knew the Pharisees cared more about the outside of a person than the inside. When you know your worth is defined by God, the Creator of the Universe, then you are redefined and refined from brokenness into beauty.