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Years ago, I applied to a certain school, hoping to enroll and prepare myself to serve the Lord. Weeks later, the reply came: the school did not accept people of color. Of course, the school rejected me but I did not give up. Yet rejection can lead to despair and hopelessness. God chose ancient Israel to be His conduit for bringing His Son into the world. God gave them a priesthood that restricted who could and could not approach Him. But He made it clear that the time would come when everyone would have equal access to His amazing grace. God said through Isaiah Chapter 56, “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will never let me be a part of his people. I will bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD who serve him and love his name…” God also said through Jeremiah the prophet (Chapter 7) that He would reject the proud who do evil and try to cover their sins with insincere worship. Jesus also showed disdain for people who pretended to be religious while exploiting others. He chased crooks out of the Temple who took advantage of foreigners and the poor to pad their pockets. God rejects the proud, but He welcomes every person who humbly comes to Him by faith in His Son.
