"Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?" Matt 15:12
Jesus was in the middle of one of his many exchanges with the so called leaders of God's people when this question was asked. It began when they challenged him about why his disciples did not wash their hands before they ate. Jesus responded by posing his own query to them. He struck right at their hearts by quizzing them about why they failed in one of the most fundamental commandments, honoring their mothers and fathers. He then quoted Isaiah by saying, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;their teachings are but rules taught by men."
As you might imagine, those who were in authority, those who were highly educated, those who publicly professed piety and love of God were seriously taken aback by this unlearned carpenter's son. Since they could not resist the words that were being said, they could only be offended at having had them spoken to them.
Too often beloved, we are more concerned with political correctness than truth. In this day and age, we don't want to offend. We don't want to go against what society favors. We want to maintain the status quo. Jesus, however, gives us all the example we need. He called people out when they were wrong. He spoke the truth regardless of how unpopular it might have been. And he left people without a doubt about where he stood.
Think about it. Had we as Christians stepped up for what we believed in, there would still be prayer in schools and there would be no same sex marriage. These days, there are consequences for praying in certain public places and anyone who stands against homosexuality is publicly castigated. Is not the United States "one nation under God?" Further, those things have invaded the church. We want to spend less time in worship and some religious organizations are allowing gays into the clergy. Galatians 4:9 warns us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Sometimes, maybe we need to offend some people. Maybe we need to start in the pews and then work our way outward. Jesus did.
In Revival,
Lee
1 comment:
In our offending be mindful of how we do it. The one thing I love about this story is how God corrects and brings forth truth. It wasnt in the pointing of fingers or calling out. But he can to where they were and brought for truth. In our offending, we must first KNOW the truth and God's word. in the offending, we must make sure we dont Judge! Then we too have fall amongst them. remember the ROCK that we stand on or that hold evrything,JESUS! The solid foundation! :-)
Your sister
psr
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