If you grew up using the King James Version of the Bible you may recall the verse above as, "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." Let's face it. We can be pretty easily offended. It doesn't take much to upset some people. Feelings get hurt. Resentment surfaces. Relationships sever.
What's intriguing to me, is that this scripture implies the possibility of "falling away" or being offended because of something Christ has done. He's the root cause of the offence. That concept sounds so strange. A follower of Christ leaving the faith because of Jesus? How could it happen? What could He do that would cause a believer to be so offended that one abandons the Lord? Isn't God all grace and love?
Sadly, I've heard many stories of those who once passionately walked with the Lord day by day, serving Him faithfully until the moment when prayers weren't answered as they had hoped. God didn't respond the way they prayed He would. The job was given to another. The healing didn't come. The bills couldn't be paid. The child hasn't been home in years. The marriage dissolved. Prolonged singleness. Early widowhood. Pain, loss, disillusionment and heartache grew into confusion, frustration and anger. Feeling like God had wronged them, unforgiveness towards Him begins to take hold of their heart. Participation in activities with other believers wanes. Church attendance becomes infrequent. Daily time with the Lord in His word disappears. A Bible sits untouched collecting dust on the shelf. It's agonizing to watch a soul drift away. They have been wounded by a conclusion they have made about God.
All our prayers will not be answered according to our plan. God's will and way can be vastly different from our longed-for direction and desires. The temptation to be offended may surely arise, but we need to guard our response. Sometimes it's God's rebuke and discipline that cause us to resist. It's a needed word that must be met with a receptive heart. As Jesus speaks these words in Luke to His disciples He is saying, you are blessed when you don't doubt, but accept what I'm doing, especially when My outcome doesn't meet your expectations. As you keep looking to God through painful trials, not taking offence at what He knows is best for you, you are blessed.
Where is God apparently not answering in accordance with your hopes right now? Can you trust Him? Will you resolve to keep following regardless of the outcome? Will you have faith that He has a plan? Will you surrender yourself to what He is doing even though it seems so utterly hard to understand? When you do, you will be blessed.
The Psalmist writes in Psalm 65, "...for You answer our prayers...You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Saviour..." (vs 2a, 5a). Help me accept Your answers Lord. Oh the blessedness of the unoffended.
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