Offenses (Rom. 12:18)

WE who’ve been given so much in Christ must be careful not to cause offense in a world that neither understands nor has our freedoms about which Galatians 5:13 says we are “called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” As I read again through the gospels, I am picking up more and more on the word offense as it plays out in Jesus’ conversations, probably because I am seeing more and more that the so-called Christians in the world in which I am currently living are walking selfishly, giving offense rather than doing all they can to live at peace with everyone (Rom. 12:18). Living at peace while walking in the love of Christ and His truths allow us opportunity to extend the gospel that we do not have when we walk in selfishness. 

There are many contexts in the gospels for the discussion of offense.The Pharisees and the scribes are often offended by Jesus, especially when they feel He has broken one of their laws, particularly when He heals on the Sabbath (Jn. 5:10). When Jesus teaches with wisdom in the synagogue in His own country, those hearing Him are amazed and at the same time take offense at Him (Matt. 13:57, Mark 6:6). Jesus tells John’s disciples not to be offended because of Him (Matt. 11:6). The Jews complain about Him when He calls Himself the bread of life (John 6:41). Jesus’ own disciples are offended when He speaks of giving His own flesh and blood and His disciples eating and drinking of it, and many even leave because it is too hard (John 6:61, 66). The Pharisees are offended by His teaching about what defiles a man being what is on the inside rather than outward actions such as not washing (Matt. 15:13). Peter operating in hIs flesh was even an offense to Jesus (Matt. 16:23). The tax collectors find offense when they think Jesus might not pay His fair share of the temple tax, and Jesus tells Peter, who is concerned about it, to go fetch the money out of the fish’s mouth and pay them, “lest we offend them” (Matt. 17:26). The world’s offenses that “must” come cause Jesus to offer woe to it (Matt. 18:7). And the list could go on and on.

Let’s face it. Sin is rampant. People are easily offended. Sin multiplies. Woes come. What we are to do with offenses when they come is the question. How we are to avoid giving it to the world in Jesus’ name is another. Matthew 24:10-12 speaks of offenses to come as a signal of Chris’s impending return: 

And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (KJV)

Lest we miss it, we are living in the age of Christ’s impending return. Let us not let our own love grow cold, caught up in the offenses of a sinful world, but rather consumed by Christ and His kingdom to come.

In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus offers Peter this insight: “sons are free; nevertheless, lest we offend them,” go pay the tax. We have freedom as sons of God, as members of His kingdom, that we dare not abuse in a world that does not understand or have our insight as Christians. We are to be salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16). We are to be examples of purity and love. We are set down in a world for a time by God, and for Jesus’ sake and our witness, we are to be subject to the authorities He has given us, to every human institution, not consumed by our offense at them (1 Pet. 2:13). 

We are NOT to worry about our words giving offense when we speak truth in love about Jesus to a lost and dying world. That is not what I speak of. I am speaking of the abuse of grace and mercy that many have offered to the world. I am speaking of the reputation of Christ, which is being torn down so often today by people claiming to be in Christ yet walking in hatred and selfishness. This should not be! We should not be claiming liberties in Jesus’ name that offend the world when we could be picking up our own crosses and following Him in humility rather than demanding our own rights, our own way. When we could be living a life that witnesses of laying down our rights in Christ, for Him, drawing people to His light, His love.

At the same time, we should not expect a lost and dying world to be like us who claim to follow Christ. That’s not the way it works. We are neither to be offended by the lost nor are we to be like them. Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:13-14, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Chronological Study Bible). When even self-proclaimed leaders of the American church fall into legalism and become like the self-righteous Pharisees, we are not to blindly follow them into the ditch or engage in shouting matches trying to be the loudest and the last one standing, stubbornly demanding our own way. Jesus says rather, “Let them alone.” Stay away from them. Their time is coming, and we are not the judge. Don’t be offended. Understand why they are acting like they are acting. Don’t be surprised. They are lost.

What comes out of a man defiles him. What’s on the inside is revealed when a man speaks, when he/she acts. How are we, the Body of Christ, acting today? What’s on the inside? What is bubbling up to the surface that needs dealing with, cutting off before it offends or causes us to sin (Matt. 17:8-9). This is no game. Life is the proving ground revealing what we truly believe. What we truly believe drives us to act. How we act will be judged ultimately by the One before whom we will stand. Our eternity will be determined by what we believe. 

Am I so worried about the offenses being laid down by the world that I can no longer see when I offend? Am I representing Christ well, being less concerned about those offenses the world gives and more concerned about offending Him? I am to allow NO OCCASION for sin in my life. I am not to entertain anything that will lead me to be the one causing offense in Jesus’ name; rather, I am to be like Christ. A little Christ. 

As Isaiah says, “Woe is me! for I am undone [or ruined] because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Is. 6:5, KJV). We DO dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, but because we have “seen” King Jesus in the gospels, like Isaiah, we have seen the LORD of hosts; because we have believed Him, we are without excuse. 

Lord, help us!