Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Insults

Episode Transcription

I was at the airport waiting to board our flight. The gate agent had transferred me onto one of those narrow chairs so I could be wheeled down the aisle of the plane to reach my seat. Now, two friends had already gone ahead to place their carryon luggage under their seats and while I was waiting on the jetway I just happened to mention my seat number to the gate agent so that he’d know where I was sitting and how far he’d have to take me down the aisle of the plane. Well, when I mentioned it, he just grunted and looked away.

When it was near time for me to board I told him my seat number again. He refused to take me on the plane! I said, “Sir, I know my seat assignment.” He said he wanted to wait and double check with my friends. There was no convincing him. And I knew why he did not believe me. People see my paralyzed body and they assume my brain must be paralyzed, too. The guy didn’t trust me; didn’t know where I was supposed to be sitting. I tell you I felt so hurt and insulted.

But later on, after our plane had taken off and I was thinking back on the whole incident, a little verse from Philippians 2 came to mind. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but he made himself nothing.” Other translations say, “He made himself of no reputation.” And as I thought about the insults that Jesus endured, I realized that I, too, was supposed to delight in those insults and the reproach I experienced back there at the airport was pittance. It was nothing compared to the indignations that Jesus suffered, but still it gave me a sense of identification with Him. I was able to delight in the insult because I had a far deeper security, a greater confidence, and a sense of eternal worth, all for the sake of Christ. Something else occurred to me, too – because I do have a deeper security, I should have, I could have, I could have shown mercy to that gate agent. Most likely he does not enjoy the same security I have and that if anything should have tempered my indignation I should have shown mercy rather than sit and stew there in stony silence until my friends came out on the jetway to help me.

1 Peter 2:23 says of Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate. When He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” Friend, if someone misreads you or misrepresents you today, don’t retaliate, take on the humility of Christ and make yourself a new reputation, show that person mercy. Let that attitude be in you: the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus. And who knows? You may even find yourself taking pleasure in the reproach.