Luke 9:5 And as for those who do not receive you as you go out from that city to shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.
“Shake the dust off your feet.”
Move on. Shake off and release the rejection. Remove the dust of the experience from your feet so you don’t carry the hurt, pain, anger, bitterness, and offense with you as you continue on your way.
This makes me think of Riley and how she shakes herself after a tense encounter or even playing hard. I have heard that this shaking resets the dog’s nervous system and allows them to relax and resume what they are doing in a calmer, less aroused state.
Rejection arouses some strong feelings. Depending on how it happens, it can get us all worked up, and charged emotionally, and bring us into a state of mental chaos and internal upheaval, making it difficult to move on and do the next thing. It may play on past wounds, insecurities, or the desire to be seen or heard, and this can make it even more deeply hurtful.
But Jesus said, essentially, “Don’t worry about those who do not receive you. Don’t take on their rejection or the offense of it. Shake it off. Reset. Come back to a state of peace and focus and continue on your way in peace, trusting that God will take care of it.”
As we live our lives doing what God has called us to do, there will be those who do not receive us, who reject us, who treat us poorly because we’re being obedient to the heavenly vision as we understand it. We must learn to shake it off and move on, leaving it in God’s hands, and continually realigning our internal environment (our soul) with the environment of the Kingdom, so that we can stay focused on Him Who called us, and the purpose He has given us.
Even going into this new year there is value and wisdom in shaking off the dust of 2023 (and any other years we’re still lugging around) and resetting so we can move forward, unhindered by the residue of the past, free to walk in His ways and will.
