Thursday, January 31, 2013

“So they were offended at Him.” Matthew 13:57

(the following was an essay written for entry into a contest from a Christian publisher...I didn't win, but still thought I'd share it!)



“So they were offended at Him.” Matthew 13:57 NKJV

It’s almost sad there aren’t more verses like this found in the New Testament.  So blatant and in our face that we can’t ignore it.  They were offended at Him – at Jesus!  This was his hometown, he grew up here, they knew him…and yet, they were offended.
            Why?
            More importantly, how could anyone have found Jesus offensive?
            It’s hard for us to imagine today, but it certainly was the case then.  Of all the things Jesus was, we often forget – or maybe we didn’t know – but he was also offensive.  Very offensive.  So offensive – he was put to death.
            The Gospels are full of Jesus being offensive – yet, we don’t always see it.
            Perhaps it was this offensiveness alone that grabbed the attention of the religious elite and powerful of that day.  After all, if Jesus were just another “nice guy” saying “nice things” though oddly equating himself with God, why bother with him?  He might have attracted a small following, but like those before him He would most likely have faded away after some point; perhaps when a new, nicer, flashier “prophet” came along.
            But not Jesus.
            Jesus sustained.
Jesus got people’s attention. Jesus got everyone’s attention.  Sure he brought a message of hope, reconciliation, restoration, rest, peace, a new kingdom, any and all the Christian buzzwords we use when it comes to Christ, but he also came with a message truly offensive, if not the most offensive: his message of love.
            It’s easy to think of Jesus loving us, and he does to be sure, but Jesus’ love knows no bound.  Jesus loved the unlovable, the undeserving, the “other people.”  The Pharisees and Sadducees of his day were not just upset at some “rules” that Jesus was breaking, but they were offended at who he was loving – after all, they figured, if he truly was the son of God, THEY would be the loved ones, not the sinners and reprobates that Jesus was hanging out with and choosing to be his disciples.
            And in a way, if we are honest with ourselves, don’t we have a list of who Jesus would or wouldn’t love?
            Are we not, at times – more often than we would admit – offended by whom Jesus loves?
            The rapist? The murderer? The child molester?  Are they too far fallen for Jesus to love?
            No one can be too far from his love.  His love knows no bounds and never runs out.
            And it’s this love that we are called to and called to share.  Oh how great it is to receive it.  But they how can we be so selfish not to give it?
            We act as if this love will run out; it won’t.  If we run out of love, all we need to do is go back to the source: Jesus.
            So why are we so reluctant to love like him?
            Jesus tells us exactly why: we will lose our life if we do.
            We will lose friends, family, status, respect, comfort, and more if we love like Him.  We too, will offend.  For a servant is no greater than his master.  If Jesus offended, how much will we offend?  How much will we suffer for this offense?
            And we will suffer for this offense, do not doubt.  There will be pain, Jesus promises us this – for he knows how the world reacts to this love – but this isn’t a pain we should run from…but to!
            For how else will we know where we lack in love if we are not caused pain by it?  If I find myself offended at someone else’s love, then I become aware of where I lack.  And for this I should be thankful as I have been shown where I can grow.
            But let’s not be confused and set out to offend.
            Love does no such thing.
            The mere act of loving as he loves alone will cause offense.  No further action from us is needed.  No marching, no protesting, no slandering, mocking, or cherry picking of scripture.
            Just simple, unbounded, unleashed love.
            Let us remember the three love commands Jesus gave us: God, our neighbor, and our enemy.
            No one is excluded from this list.
            No one.
            And that’s what is truly offensive about it.
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