I’m sure that you, like me, have realised that it is relatively easy to offend people these days. It doesn’t take much. You don’t even have to try. From the greasy glare of someone who is convinced that you were attempting to run them off the road on the way to work, to the nasty abuse and cursing to which a young mother was subjected at a local bank branch I was visiting this week – because one of her kids was a bit noisy - the ability to offend people without any effort seems to be at an all-time high. And, of course, there is that special class of people I call the perpetually outraged over, well, almost anything. Quiet disagreement has disappeared. We not only disagree, but we are also offended and the intensity is all that varies. Strange times.
On Facebook, when you are offended by someone you have been following, you can unfollow them, and even unfriend them. Being offended is quite a thing these days. Social media platforms are awash with offended people, many of whom have caused shocking offense to others in the first place.
There came a time in Jesus’ ministry when not a few of His followers became offended with what He was saying, and they stopped following Him. John 6:60-66 gives us the details, but the context was that Jesus had given some challenging teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, which symbolised accepting Him fully and spiritually. For those who did not understand His metaphorical method and the hyperbole, this caused offence especially amongst those who took Jewish dietary laws prohibiting the consumption of blood and human flesh seriously (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:13-14). They were interpreting Jesus literally and missed the point of the teaching, and were offended.
John 6:60-66 (NIV)
On hearing it [the teaching Jesus gave], many of His disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" 61 Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him. 65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them." 66 From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”
So, offense added to offense. All of this raises a question or two for me. At some point in your discipleship journey Jesus will offend you. It’s inevitable. Not because He is deliberately trying to cause offense, He isn’t, but offense may be felt when His righteous perspectives come up against what remains of our sinful nature. The sinful nature reacts with offense because it is hostile to God’s Spirit and always will be (which is why it needs to be crucified). And when holy meets unsanctified, when that happens, we can feel offended. But, really, this is a gift when you think about it. What remains of my flesh nature that will be offended is not the stuff I want to keep. The more we realise this, that is, what’s going on when the words of Jesus offend us, the more we should be grateful that sinfulness, and that which is unsanctified, is being exposed. As we realise this and appreciate it, offense becomes conviction, which is humble agreement with Jesus about something that has to be resolved in order for us to become whole.
Jesus recognised that some would not believe as they followed Him. The offense of who they were in their unsanctified state was too much for them to accept, and so, it was easier to stop following Jesus than accept His word of truth and life. Jesus even asked the twelve apostles if they also wanted to leave, highlighting the voluntary nature of discipleship.
John 6:67-68 (NIV)
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Many of Jesus’ other disciples (there were many, indeed) stopped following Him because His teachings were difficult to understand, challenged their expectations, and required personal sacrifice. And in today’s world that is just as offensive to many people as it was back in the day.
There is a bit more to think about here with challenged expectations that don’t have a lot to do with unrighteousness. There was another time early in Jesus’ ministry when John the Baptist who was in prison, sent his disciples to Jesus asking a most important question.
Matthew 11:3-6 (NIV)
"Are you the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" 4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of Me."
Do you see it? The clue is in verse 6. John is in prison, his ministry is over, the last of the Old Testament prophets is about to exit left on history’s stage. Daily he is hearing reports concerning what Jesus was doing. No doubt he hears of the offense Jesus is causing and so on and the challenges to old interpretations of Scripture and Mosaic law. There was quite a stir happening. And somewhere in all of that John has begun to wonder if he had made a huge mistake. Has he prepared the way for the wrong Messiah? Is Jesus really the One? He sent word to Jesus and you’ve just read His response - and verse 6 is vital to our understanding. It is as if Jesus sends word back to John saying, “Am I an offense to you, John, because I have not met your predetermined expectations? Is my ministry offending you? The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Is this not what Isaiah prophesied, old friend?” This was no rebuke as the verses that follow attest where Jesus honours John as the greatest of the prophets. But the issue was that even the great John the Baptist’s expectations of the Messiah were being challenged.
Jesus reassures John, and gently warns that offense because of unmet expectations can quickly become a stumbling block … and we can miss the Messiah even when He is right with us.
Jesus will challenge us – there is no question about that. This is what the Word of God does in bringing us back into conformity with Him, which is what holiness is. We have a choice when the challenges of God’s Word discern us revealing what is still in us of the flesh, and what is of the Spirit. We need to know in order to keep following.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We can be offended by Jesus and stop following or, like Peter, we can say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Please don’t be offended, be grateful.
Ps Milton