May We All Be One as Jehovah and Jesus Are One - PREJUDICE THAT JESUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS FACED

Jesus himself was subjected to prejudice.  When Philip told Nathaniel that he had found the Messiah, Nathaniel replied:  "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  (John 1:46) Apparently, Nathaniel knew of the prophecy at Micah 5:2 and considered Nazareth too insignificant to be the Messiah's hometown.  Similarly, prominent Judeans despised Jesus because he was a Galilean.  (John 7:52) Many Judeans viewed the people of Galilee as inferior.  Other Jews sought  to insult Jesus by calling him a Samaritan.  (John 8:48)  The Samaritan people were ethnically and religiously distinct from the Jews.  Both Judeans and Galileans had little respect for the Samaritans and avoided them. - John 4:9.

Jewish leaders likewise heaped scorn on Jesus' followers. The Pharisees classed them as among the "accursed people." (John 7:47-49)  Yes, they considered anyone who had not studied the rabbinic schools or who did not keep  their traditions to be contemptible and ordinary.  (Acts 4:13)  The prejudices that Jesus and his disciples suffered was rooted in religious, social, and ethnic divisions. The disciples  too were affected by prejudice.  To be united, they would have to change their mind-set.

Today, most of us are surrounded by prejudiced. We could be victims, or we ourselves might hold some prejudices.  "My hatred for white people grew as I focused on the injustice that was inflicted on  the Aboriginal people-past and present," explains a sister who is now a pioneer in Australia.  "This hatred was also fueled by the abuse I had personally experienced."  A Canadian brother mentioned the prejudice he once had concerning language.  "I thought french-speaking people were superior," he admits.  "And I developed animosity toward English-speaking people."

Feelings of prejudice  in our time can be deeply ingrained, just as they were in Jesus' day.  How did Jesus deal with them?  First, he rejected prejudice, being totally impartial.  He preached to the rich and the poor, Pharisees and Samaritans, even tax collectors and sinners.  Second, by his teaching and example, Jesus showed his disciples that must overcome suspicion toward others.

Next time:  May We All be One as Jehovah and Jesus Are One - CONQUERING PREJUDICE WITH LOVE AND HUMILITY

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