Blessed Are Those Who Are Not Offended

[Mr. M]

Luke 7:

19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus,

saying, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

20 When the men had come to Him, they said, John the Baptist

has sent us to You, saying, Are You the Coming One,

or do we look for another?

21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions,

and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

22 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things

you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, 

the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, 

the poor have the gospel preached to them. 

23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.

 

After describing His Works, why does the Lord speak of being offended?

 

Many believe that knowing these things should give them comfort,

as those who serve a mighty God.

On the contrary, the knowledge of Christ can lead to much hardship,

particularly those who do not act purposefully in His Will.

John is in prison. He has baptized Christ himself, bore witness to the Spirit

and the Voice of God, and proclaimed "behold the Lamb of God".

Now he asks "Are you the One, or do we look for another"?

In other words, "if you are Messiah, why am I in prison?'.

Indeed, why was he found in this miserable state?

He was prophesied to be "a voice in the wilderness" and fulfilled

his calling.

He then went to Jerusalem and voiced his condemnation

for the king's adultery, and was ultimately beheaded. 

Note that the narrative does not say, "and then the Spirit of the Lord

spoke to John, and said, go condemn that rascal Herod".

 We must be very careful not to act out of our own self-righteousness

in condemning the wicked, if the Lord has not spoken. 

We might find ourselves in a place where we are easily offended.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, 

yet now we know Him thus no longer.

 

We must know Him as Spirit and Truth; by the Voice of the Spirit, not by what 

upsets us the most, or what we desire to change.

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, 

slow to speak, slow to wrath; 

20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.