Are You Feeling Offended? (Part 1)

Let’s be honest and not just biblically correct, although I want to also be biblically correct. I find I’m frustrated with so much that is going on in the world that I have to wrestle a lot with my emotions. After all, there is so much to get anyone mad who is awake. From politics, to the economy, to people loosing their business and people loosing their jobs– there is plenty to get me fired up about. The thing that bugs me a lot is feeling like I can’t do anything about it. Do you find yourself in the same boat? Read on.

As a Christian I would be lying if I said I have it all under control. To be frank, I seem to be asking God’s forgiveness more these days than I feel I should have to. Not that asking God to forgive me is wrong, but it’s that I seem to need it more lately. I am very grateful that God has open arms when we get honest and confess our sin to him, and I don’t think he regrets being so generous, but if I know anything about God’s character I know we often cause God to be grieved by our repeated sins that we constantly confess over and over again.

So let me unpack some of the influences that grab our souls and twist our emotions in the anger knot. For me it’s the media. Anyone who knows me knows I like to be informed by the news, but the news media has now become more of a gossip machine than just giving us the information of the day. We all know that how one tells a story has a lot to do with how that story is perceived by the listener. As one person has said we live in a “Culture of Offenses.” The media makes its living by sharing speculation and innuendo without ever having to substantiate these stories or accusations. Traveling in Communist countries in the 70s and 80s I saw how the news in these countries would twist the facts to fit the communist or socialist party line. I never in my wildest imagination thought America would slowly slide into the same dishonesty as these communist lands.

Second, our “Emotional Significance” often is set by what people think or speak about us. It use to be true of teenagers, but as adults we should have outgrown such poor evaluation of ourselves. The outcome is we tend to base our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us from the “Herd Mentality” as people often are afraid to voice an independent perspective. As Christians we should find our self-worth from what God thinks about us. The problem, as I see it, is this generation of believers rarely read the scriptures other than on Sunday during the morning sermon. No wonder we have no idea of what God thinks and maybe we don’t want to know! Knowing about the character of God should illuminate our understanding of what is morally and spiritually healthy, but few believers can articulate how important knowing God’s character is, let alone their own character.

Jesus was asked by John the Baptist’s disciples if Jesus was truly the Messiah or if he should look for another. This is the same man that declared at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry that he was “The Lamb of God” that takes always the sin of the whole world.” John asked this question while in prison and, like him, we often wonder if what we believe about Jesus is worthy of our struggles. Look what Jesus says to his disciples.

Matthew 11:2, 4-6

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples . . .

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” 

Jesus uses the word “Offense” in his reply to John because he knew we all get offend by people. The idea of offense has the meaning of being “Entrapped” by something or someone and the idea of being “Tripped Up.” Jesus responds by putting the evidence of his ministry before making the statement about offense which is very important. If the facts we base our offense over are not really facts at all, but speculations, then our offenses are wrong. But what about the things that are truly offensive? What are we suppose to do with them? Is getting offended wrong all together?

From my perspective being offended is normal and altogether appropriate when the actions or behavior by another or group are wrong. To not be offended at injustice, or slander, or harm to ourselves or others would be truly evil. But are we going to be harmed spiritually or mortally by things that offend us? Look what the apostle Paul said about getting angry. Our anger relates to things we get offended by.

Ephesians 4:26-27

And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

So getting angry is not a sin but holding that anger in your soul too long could be. Ever remember playing with something hot like a hot potato? As a kid we use to play a game throwing a hot potato around to see who could hold it the longest. Dumb game, right?

Jesus wanted us to confront our offenses and consider their outcome. When Jesus was teaching about the importance of eating his flesh and blood many disciples got offended. This is one of the most misunderstood teachings of Jesus. To take his words at face value you would think he was telling his disciples to kill and eat him, like cannibalism. This was the farthest from the truth. Jesus was telling his disciples that they had to become one with Jesus and live like he lived. Today, people call themselves Christians but have no desire to live like him. They like what Jesus says about love but they don’t like what he says about sacrifice and many other things.

John 6:60-61

Even his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”Jesus knew within himself that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 

Jesus asked if they were offended by what he was saying. Why? Because they were offended and holding such offense has consequences. The outcome was they now rejected Jesus because of it.

John 6:66-68

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 

In the next article we will dive deeper into why we hold offenses and what we should do to be released from them. Consider Peter’s words when asked if the twelve would be offended and leave. Peter considered being offended by Jesus’ words and though he didn’t understand, he trusted Jesus’ character more so he kept following Jesus.

Questions:

1) Have you been offended by someone? Don’t let that offense rob you from God’s best and confess it to Jesus.

2) Have you offended someone? The best thing is to make sure it was not intentional and apologize if needed.

Loving God with our whole soul,

Pastor Dale