Despised by all – for me! - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah 53:3

Despised by all – for me!
There is a fire alarm in a small town. When the fire brigade arrives, the whole house is already in flames. A small boy is seen at one of the windows. The mother, full of panic, is about to rush into the house to save him when she is held back. One of the firefighters makes his way through the flames to the boy. On the way back, he shields him with his own jacket. He escapes the sea of flames and manages to save the boy – but he himself sustains severe burns. Several months later when his scars have healed, he is unrecognisable, so disfigured is his face.

Time passes, neighbours change, and the fire is forgotten. When children encounter the man disfigured by the scars, they run away in fear. Later, they become braver, laugh at him and tease him – even the boy who was saved back then. When his parents hear about it, they are shocked, for they have not forgotten the heroic deed of the past. They seize the opportunity to tell their son the story of his rescue and why the man’s face is so disfigured. The boy realises that his saviour was disfigured for him – that he risked his life for him.

Jesus Christ was despised, mocked, spat upon, scourged and crucified. He died. Why? Because He wanted to save me! For my transgressions He was wounded, for my iniquities He was crushed; the punishment that brought me peace was upon Him (verse 5).

Shouldn’t I be grateful to Him for that and love Him?

Today’s reading: Leviticus 13:29-44 · Psalms 59:10-17