Don’t be Offended

In a previous post, Scattered and Sifted, I discussed the effects of the arrest of the crucifixion of Christ on the disciples. Jesus warned them at the Last Supper, that all of them would deny Him and be scattered. He quoted Zechariah 13: 7, “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.” When Jesus was arrested, fear gripped the hearts of the once loyal and devoted disciples. Perhaps, they were so astonished at the strange twist of events that they did not know what would happen next. Their once comfortable and exciting role beside Jesus as He raised the dead, healed the sick, and preached the Gospel, become a lonely vacuum of despair and confusion when He was arrested. After all, Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. How could this happen to Him? The disciples still did not understand the greater plan of God. They were looking for a Messiah that would deliver them from Roman rule and Jesus was showing them that His Kingdom was not of this world. Say what, Jesus? You mean, this is how the last three years of glory end? In your death? Say it isn’t so, Jesus…

Sometimes, we are blindsided by certain events that happen in our lives. We are praying for healing, and a loved one remains sick. We are planning our future, being good stewards of our finances and a crisis drains our resources and our energy. We are so busy plowing ahead and working diligently that we do not see the collision that is inevitable up ahead. I can imagine this is how the disciples felt when Jesus was arrested and found guilty of blasphemy. The disciples were so caught up in the glory of the moment and the excitement all around them, that they missed Jesus’ predictions about why He was really sent. They missed the whole “dying on the Cross” thing, and the “My Kingdom is not of this world” speech.

Remember, John the Baptist?  John the Baptist was the voice of one crying the wilderness, boldly shouting “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”. He was the insightful baptizer who loudly pointed and proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” when he saw Jesus arrive on the river bank. However, after some time has passed and John the Baptist is thrown in jail, perhaps some doubt about Jesus’ identity has surfaced in his heart. He sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He is “the One” they have been waiting for or if there is another who is the Messiah.  Jesus tells the two, ““Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see 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 is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11)

Hold on there, Jesus. I love the whole blind seeing, lame walking, lepers cleansed, and dead being raised phenomena. But,  what is the whole “blessed are those who are not offended because of Me” statement. That must have shaken John the Baptist to the core. Maybe Jesus was trying to tell John that He wasn’t coming for him. Yes, John. I am who I said I am. But, I am not coming for you. You will remain in prison. In fact, you will die for me. John, don’t be offended by this. Blessed are those who are not offended by Me.

Application: Don’t be offended by the Lord when things don’t happen the way you think they will. Blessed are you when you continue to follow Jesus anyway. Blessed are you when you see miracles, people healed, and prayers answered all around you, yet God seems silent in your life. Don’t be offended by Jesus. Perhaps. Keep seeking, finding and following the Lord despite the circumstances and in spite of what you see. Keep the faith! Yes, He is who He said He is. Pray on, dear readers. Pray on.

Separation Anxiety

“Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful”~Benjamin Franklin

Sin has always and will always separate. It separates us from the Lord and it isolates us from each other. You may think you are only hurting yourself when you sin, but you are harming everyone who is close to you. The husband entangled in adultery affects not only his own life, but the welfare of his wife, children, parents, and friends, as they watch a marriage go up in flames. The actions of the teenage boy addicted to meth causes chaos in his entire family who just wants their son back. The co-worker with the gambling problem, distracted by his wasteful spending, is no longer effective at his place of employment. The young mother who gossips about all her neighbors and friends while her children play in the other room, is poorly modeling relationships. Don’t tell me that sin only hurts you.

How many young ladies cannot connect with or trust a man because of the negative, destructive actions of her father? How many young people, raised in Christian homes, leave the church to never return because of the hypocrisy and compromised walks of the so-called Christians around them? Or how many boys grow up without a father and struggle to hold down a job, lacking the skills to become an engaged father themselves. How many people lose friends because of lies, manipulation, anger, or other sinful behaviors? Sin has a ripple effect that touches anyone close to us. How has your life been affected by your sins or the sins and actions of others around you?

Sin. We were born into it, but have been set free from its lure, if we chose to accept what Jesus has accomplished on the Cross. You may think that God is mean and forbids sin because He is just giving us a list of tempting and enjoyable things to avoid. Or, perhaps the Lord wants to make life boring and that being a Christian means you have to live a bland, unadventurous life. Some believe that the sins listed in the Bible are outdated and old-fashioned. Clearly, you reason, if the Bible was written now in this millennium, in modern times, the expectations and guidelines would be different. But, that is not true at all. Unlike other written publications that are revised and updated every few years, the Bible is the final, complete Word of God. And despite electronic devices, like the one you are reading this blog on,  there will not be a “next generation” of the Word of God. This is it. And, God’s Word is enough. Period.

The Lord knows that sin separates us from Him. It pushes us away from Him and drives a wedge between our relationships. The Lord wants us to “be holy, as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:15) because He wants us to remain in intimate relationship with Him. He wants us to know Him and to be known by Him. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From that moment, the relationship between God and man was severed. Thankfully, from that moment on, God was busy setting in motion the plan that would redeem us and restore that broken relationship. That is why sin is forbidden. It damages our relationships and causes death in our souls.

Sin separates us from the Lord and from each other. It can destroy families, cause mistrust, and trap people in a cycle of bondage. It causes guilt and anxiety in our hearts because we know we are far from God. Break free, today! The good news is that you do not need to be held hostage. The Lord has provided a way in His Word. God is faithful through His Holy Spirit to lead you away from the grip of sin.  1 Corinthians 10: 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Read also: Ephesians 2, Romans 6, Romans 8, 1 John 1:8-9. Seeking, finding, and following Jesus. Pray on, dear readers. Pray on.