Blessed Offender

"And blessed is the one who is not offended in Me."
Luke 7:23

Are you offended when Jesus doesn't look or act like you think He should?

Imagine for a moment that you are John the Baptist. You've been called out by God for a purpose. You've been given a difficult task. You've forsaken worldly pleasures, selfish ambition, and the inherent, dogged human desire to "fit in", all for the sake of preparing others to meet Jesus.

Your days in the wilderness have been hot and the nights lonely.

But as a reward for your unsurpassed faithfulness to Christ and His calling on your life, you find yourself demoted, abandoned, and mistreated.

John the Baptist, in the darkest hour of his testing and through the bars of Herod's dungeon, hears wonderful stories of the Messiah. Jesus is healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, and even bringing the dead back to life! Most importantly, Jesus is fulfilling the message of repentance and forgiveness that John, in sharp contrast to the religious establishment of the day, so boldly preached. Everything is as John had proclaimed it would be, but still he asks, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

John's question regarding Christ stems not from a doubting heart as much as a discouraged and dissatisfied one. In response, Jesus affirms John, but won't deliver him from his trouble. John wants answers and action on his behalf. Jesus offers only encouragement. He doesn't impart any special revelation as to who He is or what His greater intentions are regarding John'’s tragic situation.

Are you discouraged and dissatisfied with the place to which God'’s will has led you so far, to the point where your faith in the Person is challenged by your fear of the present? Are you offended that our Lord requires - sometimes in the most severe and heartrending ways - much faith of those who have been heretofore the most faithful?

Forsake your right to be offended, and in doing so, you will receive a supernatural blessing.