Blessed is the one who is not offended by me
January 4, 2012
Matthew 11:4
And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preaached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Hearing Pastor Matt Chandler speak on this passage has profoundly changed the way I looked at the last bit of this sentence. Jesus was quoting Isaiah 29:18; 35:5-6, both referring to the activity of the Messiah. And so, Jesus was saying, “Yes, I am the one that you have been waiting for.” And this should be cause for celebration, but for John’s disciples, the ending is not a jubilant one. In quoting the two passages out of Isaiah, Jesus conveniently left out the last part of the sentence, “and the captives will be set free.” Translation: “Yes, I am the Messiah, but John is going to remain in prison.” And then, as they were walking away, Jesus adds, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” And so to put it all together, Jesus is saying, “Yes, I’m the Messiah and yes, I am the one who has the power and ability to set you free from prison, but I will not, and you will die there. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
And in the midst of my present situation (admittedly not nearly the same gravity as John the Baptist’s), this passage serves as a good reminder that Jesus is God and that I am not. Jesus is the Messiah, He is the one who has come to redeem mankind and to save us from our sin and has called us to live a new life. This is who Jesus is. He didn’t come to serve me, He came so that I could serve and obey Him. It’s not His job to wait on my beckoning call, regardless of how noble I think my calling is. Jesus will act according to His purposes (which are too great for me to know and comprehend), and my role is to not only acknowledge that He is higher than me, but to not be offended by His will, especially when it opposes mine, even if His will is costly for me.
Right now, the cost of following Jesus is heartache and hard work. I strive to make the Gospel known in the lives of my congregants and the teens that have been entrusted to me, but all of my efforst seem to be in vain. Many still do not believe, and the number of workers are few. And it is my will that they be saved IMMEDIATELY! However, this is not God’s will of decree (for now at least). And a large portion of my job is to continue to praise and worship Jesus Christ in the midst of His “no,” to trust in His greater “yes” for our church and for me, and to not be offended by Him.
And the blessing that comes from worshipping Jesus Christ as God comes in Matt 11:28-30: Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
This passage speaks of all those who will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. All who trust that Jesus Christ is the answer (not good works) for salvation (present and future) will be given rest for their weary souls. The moment that I realize that my salvation and my worship is not how many people are saved under my care, but rather, whether I have been faithful in exalting Jesus Christ in my life, the burden of pastoring becomes signficantly lighter.
Again, my job is to be faithful to Jesus. His role is to save. He is the Good Shepherd and I need to grow in my trust that He is ultimately good and desires the best for our church.
