Life of Christ 90
In the last summer of
His life Jesus is going out of His way, literally, to avoid Judea and Galilee. He
keeps making side trips outside of these territories to avoid provoking a
premature confrontation with Israel's political and religious leadership. In
our story today (Matthew 17.24-27) we find that He and His Apostles have just
returned to Capernaum after a weeklong trip north of Galilee into the
mountains.
I find several lessons
in this story. I see that Jesus and His Apostles were basically broke,
financially. It is curious how that the prosperity gospel types never bring
that up. I also see that God always provides for the genuine needs of His own.
But the largest lesson I see here, and the one that I think is the point of the
whole story, is that Jesus gave up His rights in order not to cause offense.
'Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them' (Matthew 17.27).
We live in an age in
which we hear a lot of chatter about rights. Some of these claimed rights are
valid, and some are not. Regardless, Jesus chose giving in over asserting His
rights, and He did it explicitly in order not to offend someone. It wasn't that
Jesus was afraid of offending people, for He was willing to do so, if it was an
important issue (Matthew 13.57). However, unless it was a matter of vital truth
Jesus chose to act as inoffensively as possible.
This is the clear scriptural
position. 'It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing
whereby they brother stumbleth, or is offended' (Romans 14.21). 'Wherefore, if
meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth'
(I Corinthians 8.13). 'Give none offence' (I Corinthians 10.32). 'That ye may
be sincere and without offence' (Philippians 1.10).
I can hear it already,
the response forming on your lips.
'Well, if they're
offended, that's their problem. After all, great peace have they which love thy
law and nothing shall offend them.'
Yes, that is true. They
shouldn't be offended, and it is their problem. But in asserting this you've
clearly missed the point. We are to seek to be inoffensive, not because they
are close to the Lord and in love with Him, but because they aren't. We are to
seek to be inoffensive precisely because of the fact that if we do offend it
will be their problem. And they don't know how to handle problems very well.
Yes, if they were stronger they wouldn't be offended. So, since they are weak,
don't blame them for being offended, rather don't offend them. I know you have
rights, but weak people take offense easily. We ought to try not to give them
the opportunity. If it is an issue of right and wrong, of truth and error, of a
clear scriptural mandate, then we ought to have a backbone of steel and not
give an inch. But if it's a matter of preference or rights, and they will be
offended, then we ought to seek to structure things in such a way so as to be
as inoffensive as possible.
There is a segment of
Christianity that embraces persecution as evidence that they are holy. The
practical result is that they go about seeking to be attacked, or behaving in
such a way so as to provoke virulent opposition. Then, when that opposition
comes, they wrap themselves in their sanctimonious spirituality and feel
superior because someone is mad at them. The simple truth is that people are
often not mad at us because of the truth but rather because we did something
that frightened or provoked them.
Consider Westboro
Baptist Church in Kansas, for instance. They are notorious for traveling all
around the country to picket the funerals of soldiers killed in the line of
duty, asserting that each death is a direct evidence of God's judgment on
America because of her position supporting homosexuality. They are correct that
homosexuality is wrong, and that God will judge America in some way at some
time as a result. However, they are incorrect in saying that each individual
death is attributable to this, and further, they are even more incorrect in
seeking to go about their stand in as purposely an offensive way as possible.
There may come a day when we, as God's people, will have to be willing to
endure persecution because of our beliefs about homosexuality, but we don't
need to provoke it by having a Hunt-a-Homo Sunday during the Spring Program.
Three thousand years ago
Solomon wisely said, 'A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong
city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle' (Proverbs 18.19). If
I want to bring people to see my side on an issue I will come nearer and faster
getting it done if I don't have to first besiege the castle I unknowingly built
when I offended them. There are rights, and then there is right. And right is
more important than rights. If I must offend in order to be right, then so be
it. If the truth offends, then so be it. But if it is just a matter of my
rights then let me learn to give in, graciously, lest I should offend them.
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