Are you Offended?
I was sent the following message posted on a sign down in Texas by a famous Tex-Mex restaurant named El Arroyo: “Wishing you a happy whatever doesn’t offend you.”
WOW, doesn’t that seem to summarize the sentiment of our times?
Offenses these days seem like another pandemic. They are spreading like wildfire and too many are testing positive with touchiness, edginess, or oversensitivity over virtually everything. Don’t you sometimes feel like you are walking on eggshells around people?
We could all offer our reasons why, but that would be beyond the scope of this communication. What is patently obvious is that people without the hope of knowing Jesus Christ as Savior can and will be self-absorbed and quick-tempered in a hyper-sensitive, easily offended world.
We know better as believers, yet we can still fall short by allowing the flesh to suck us into this snippy mindset. We know we should never be careless or thoughtless in spreading insulting attitudes, derogatory comments, or rude behavior no matter what the offense (Rom. 12:14: “bless and do not curse”; v. 17: “never pay back evil for evil to anyone”; v. 21: “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”)
HOWEVER, there is another kind of offense that IS vitally needed: The Christmas offense.
Even though Jesus Christ put on flesh and came to earth as an act of love for a lost and sin-indulging world, His coming wasn’t warmly received by everyone.
Herod the king attempted to hunt Jesus down as an infant and kill Him as a rival king.
The religious leaders of the day (Pharisees & Chief Priests) plotted against Jesus because He exposed the hypocrisy of their self-righteous, approval-loving hearts.
The people of Israel were unduly influenced by their religious leaders to the point they called passionately and foolishly for Jesus’ crucifixion.
As we have been learning in our study of 1 Corinthians, “the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1:18). The truth that you willfully rebelled against God, your sin put Jesus on the cross, you are guilty as charged, you deserve condemnation, you cannot alter your terminal condition, is highly offensive to a self-obsessed heart.
Every selfish heart needs this offensive wake-up call to the reality of why our only hope and help is in the exclusive coming, the righteous life, the selfless love, the truthful message, the substitutionary death, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That’s an offense worth experiencing. That’s the offense Christmas brings us. It’s like the painful scalpel of a skillful surgeon who successfully repaired life-threatening damage to the heart.
Thank the Lord for His Christmas offense that led to your gracious eternal salvation.
One more thing. Let’s keep reminding ourselves that only the gospel is able to righteously offend our hearts in order to lead us to eternal life. You and I must avoid adding our own unhelpful offenses by being ungracious, unloving, self-righteous, or condemning jerks when sharing the gospel.
Pastor Jeff