Offended

​CPT Bob climbed the tower.  His soldiers were there to rappel off the tall wooden platform.  At the top he inspected the training and noticed that the end of one of the ropes was improperly anchored with a simple granny knot.  So he pointed out to the Lieutenant, Officer in Charge (OIC), the problem.  The LT disagreed, said the knot was fine and ordered Bob off the tower.  By rights as the OIC he could do so.  Bob reminded him that safety was everyone’s responsibility and that he would not allow his soldiers to go down under such unsafe conditions.  Again, the LT told him to leave.  After more heated words, Bob descended the stairs and walked over to the nearest phone to report an unsafe condition.  While he was on the phone, one of his soldiers leaning over the edge shrieked as his rope came loose.  He fell straight to the ground.  Today that injured soldier remains a quadriplegic.  

​Why—why did such a needless tragedy take place?  Perhaps one active duty lieutenant thought to himself, “What does this reservist Captain know!”  Maybe he was insecure.  Regardless of the thought process that wound through his brain, the end result was a horrendous accident for which he would spend the rest of his life regretting.
 
Meditation
John 9:32-34—“Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He wouldn’t be able to do anything.” 
“You were born entirely in sin,” they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
 
The Apostle John gives his eyewitness account of Jesus healing a man born blind.  Rather than celebrate a colossal miracle, the Pharisees were offended.  They didn’t like this upstart Galilean breaking their Sabbath laws to do good.  Yet when they repeatedly interrogated the man with restored vision to find fault with Jesus, he mocked them, provoking an outburst of insults.  Even when he shared poignant truth in the meditation above, they could not stand the possibility of being wrong and reacted in anger (John 9).

Why does Jesus offend people?  I best understand this question when I honestly admit what offends me. I don’t like being wrong.  It is embarrassing to be exposed.  My way is comfortable—don’t ask me to change.  I’m older than you are.  I’m more educated.  I have experience that qualifies me—who are you?  These are the lines of pride.  Pride that refuses to admit God’s truth constitutes a medical condition called spiritual blindness and it is forever fatal.  Were it not for God’s grace grabbing me by the throat and exposing me to my own sin and need for redemption, I would die with this disease.

Are you offended by the Son of God who says He is the only way to salvation?  What are you hiding?  What are you clinging too that outweighs eternal life with a loving Savior?  Are you willing to bet eternity on the knot you’ve tied?
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Do you know someone offended?  Have you forgotten your own healing?  Do you take for granted vision at the cost of praying for those stumbling in the dark?  How many shrieks must you hear of those falling before you earnestly share the truth? 
 
Oh God wake us up!
 
Inspiration
It is a serious thing to be offended with Jesus; it means stagnation of character. Jesus Christ can never save offended people, because people who are offended with Jesus shut up their natures against Him; they will not see in Him—the Son of God—their Savior; they will not hear His words of life.  God has so constituted human nature that people who will not, ultimately cannot, but everyone who is willing to come to Jesus and is not offended in Him is saved and receives forgiveness.—Oswald Chambers in God’s Workmanship
 
©2001 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)