“Blessed is he who is not offended by me.”
— Matthew 11:6
I was just thinking, it makes a lot of sense that human beings have tried so hard and for so long to make Christianity more acceptable, more tame, a more comfortable dinner table conversation topic. Because the real Gospel, is truly a very offensive thing. Yet, it is true.
Let’s just look at what Scripture actually says, and see why I say it’s offensive. Taking only the first sentence of this post you should have an idea that there is reason to be offended by the Gospel, as Jesus made clear. Because the Gospel says I am a sinner by birth and nature, that at my very conception I was sinful (1). The Scriptures say that the very best I can do, is nothing more than a filthy rag (2). The Bible says that in and of myself, I will never seek God (3), can do nothing deserving of His love (4), and am not more worthy of Him through a life of church-going than the man who repents on his deathbed (5). The Bible tells me that Jesus loves those who crucified Him as much as He loves me (6). Look at the people in the Bible whom God chose. Paul was a murderer of Christians (7). King David was an adulterer who had a man killed to try and cover up the fact that he had slept with his wife (8). Moses too was a murderer (9). Tamar tricked her father into sleeping with her in order to become pregnant (10). Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus (11). Rahab was a prostitute (12). Jonah was told by God to go preach to Nineveh, so he deliberately went in the opposite direction (13). And those are just a few of the dozens of people in the Bible that are given as examples for us — examples to show us how depraved we are as humans.
The Bible is brutally honest. If you want to follow Jesus, you have to be willing to leave behind everything you hold most precious (14). If you want to be great, you must be a servant (15). If you would be lifted up, you must be humble (16). God doesn’t sugar coat anything for us — He is to be number one, and Him alone (17).
It’s no great wonder that human beings are so offended by the Bible — as it says they will be. The Bible is offensive. Yet it is the truth. And the truth will set you free. Would you prefer to live in the bondage of a comfortable lie?
— Joel
- (1) Psalm 51:5
- (2) Isaiah 64:6
- (3) Psalm 53:2-3
- (4) Ephesians 2:8
- (5) Luke 23:40-43
- (6) Luke 23:34
- (7) Acts 22:4
- (8) 2 Samuel 11
- (9) Exodus 2:12
- (10) Genesis 38:13-18
- (11) Luke 22:54-62
- (12) Joshua 2:1
- (13) Jonah 1:1-3
- (14) Luke 14:26
- (15) Mark 9:35
- (16) James 4:10
- (17) Exodus 20:3