“Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him He said, ’Do you believe in and adhere to the Son of God?’ He answered, ‘Who is He, Sir? Tell me, that I may believe in and adhere to Him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen Him: [in fact] He is talking to you right now.’ He called out, ‘Lord, I believe! [I rely on, I trust, I cleave to You!]. And he worshiped Him” (John 9:35).

When Jesus passed by the blind man on the street, even his own disciples judgmentally asked who had sinned that the man should be born blind- the man or his parents? The disciples’ negative assumption was wrong; Jesus explained to them that the man had been born blind so that the workings of God’s love and power could be displayed through him. In other words, God planned to connect with and use this misunderstood man’s life to bring His light into the world.
Jesus then spat on the ground, made clay with his saliva, and spread it on the blind man’s eyes. He told the beggar to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the beggar went, washed, and came back seeing. After Jesus had healed the blind man, giving him sight for the first time in his life, many observers believed in Him, but the established religious community put the man out of their congregation. He was rejected again!
When Jesus heard that the Pharisees had put the healed man out, He met with the man and personally revealed Himself as the Son of God. Then this man chose to believe, rely on, trust in, and cleave to Jesus as the Son of God.
Like this beggar, many followers of Christ have experienced being misunderstood and rejected by those who were expected or supposed to understand and accept us. When we encounter negative responses or people misinterpret who we are, we must always remember the truth that Jesus is especially close to the misunderstood and rejected. At all times He understands us, unconditionally loves us, and longs to use our lives to His glory. Most importantly, He wants to develop us into spiritual, human beings through a personal, growing, everlasting relationship with Him! We must continually remember and believe by faith that, through the uncomfortable times of being misunderstood and rejected, God always has a plan to bring us to a better place!