Unneeded Baggage

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Many are hindered in the battle, not because of the roaring lion or the arrows of lies, but because they have taken upon themselves a burden that they should not be carrying; they have been offended by someone and have taken umbrage.

I was at a viewing place, looking down on Gibraltar. There were many signs warning viewers not to feed the small monkeys that lived in the surrounding trees. Of course, some people chose to ignore the signs with the result that soon, a monkey would land on one’s shoulders. While cameras were in action, the monkey would begin to tangle its fingers in the hair so that, when it became painful, the recipient found difficulty in its removal.

Satan has an army of trained ‘monkeys’ ready to jump on one’s shoulder to tangle their fingers in their victim’s hair.

We need to recognize the monkey of offense and quickly remove it before it robs us of our peace.

Many are hindered in the battle, not because they have been ‘wounded’ by others, but because they have taken upon themselves a burden that they should not be carrying. They have been offended by someone and have ‘taken umbrage.’

We must realize that offense and sin are very different.

Though the former may be a ‘fruit’ of the sinful life, it is not a deliberate sinful act of the one who offends. Indeed, we are told that Jesus was an ‘offense’ to the religious leaders of His time, and He was without sin. It is my belief that He deliberately caused offense on more than one occasion, as I shall present to you shortly.

There may be many causes for offense, but the following are the most common: ● Personality clashes : People will often use this phrase as an ‘excuse’ for not getting along with one another!

● False expectations : Probably, the number one reason pastors and churches separate. We are not very good at making our expectations known before offense occurs.

● Misunderstandings : Poor communication.

● Gifts and talents : I often see people envy others’ prominence, instead of feeling secure in their own ministry or ‘calling.’

● Pride : An affront to one’s ‘ego.’ (for example: a father who is angered (offended) by his son’s average grades in school, believing it reflects poorly on himself).

● Rebellion : The ‘old man’ refuses to die!

A great example of these offenses at work was when a church was undergoing a renovation - they were rebuilding their sanctuary. It had been two long years of hard work for the congregation who were building this church, but God had proven Himself to be faithful.

There were many stories of ‘miracles’ of provision from Jehovah Jireh. It was now time to decide the color scheme for the interior of the sanctuary, so a small committee was formed of members of the church and John, art master at the local school, was asked to lead the group. At their first meeting, John arrived with a portfolio outlining his suggestions (some say ‘decisions’) for the color scheme. It was not long before others present expressed their disagreement with his proposals, having some opinions of their own.

Finally, a vote was taken and a consensus decision made - that did not reflect the art teacher’s views. John was offended and the reverberations of his offense were felt in that church for some time afterwards. Indeed, some even said that that was when the ‘miracles’ ceased.

John is no different than all of us! It is so easy to be offended without realizing the terrible negative impact this can have on ourselves and on the work of Christ. It is a major weapon used by Satan in defeating us in the battle. Be sure of this - offenses will come (Luke 17:1). Jesus told us of their certainty and warned us how we can be kept from stumbling at the offense: by responding to His requirements for discipleship, made in the Upper Room Let us look at some Biblical examples of people who were offended. We shall seek the cause and note the results of their offense. Hopefully, we shall also discern the Lord’s purposes in allowing the offenses to come. He has promised to deliver us from the ‘evil one,’ but has never promised to deliver us from offenses! He would, however, teach us to recognize the offense and to receive His grace in such times of testing.

The various translations of the New Testament can confuse us on this topic, so let us understand that the Greek word, “skandalon” is variously translated as “a stumbling block.” In other words, “an offense,” or “a falling away.”

The Sower and the Seed → Matthew 13:18-21 In the verses above, Jesus teaches a crowd this well known parable as well as interprets the parable for them, likening the four types of soil to four types of hearers of the God’s Word.

The ‘stony places’ describes the person who “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).

This is a believer who doesn’t like what the Bible teaches him. He had anticipated that being a Christian would be easy!

He wanted joy and peace, but wasn’t prepared to take up his cross (Matthew 16:24), to pay the price of servanthood. By and by, he is offended and falls away, the result being no fruit !

A Prophet Without Honour → Matthew 13:54-57 Jesus came to His own town of Nazareth where He taught in the synagogue. His neighbors were astonished at His teaching, questioning where He received such wisdom. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” they said. “We’ve known him since childhood! Who does he think he is?” There is a common phrase, ‘familiarity often breeds contempt’ and as we read in verse 57, those from Jesus’ hometown “took offense at Him.”

How many young men and women, responding to God’s call on their lives, have tried to answer that call, but have been hindered by the greater ‘wisdom’ of their neighbors:family, friends, and church leaders! I am reminded of the old prophet in 1 Kings 13 who was offended because God was using another young man to proclaim His word. Because of his offense, the old prophet deceived the young man, the result being the silencing of his witness, through death!

As a result of their offense in Nazareth, “he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). A sure way to stop the Lord moving in miraculous ways in your life, is to take offense. The result of their being offended was no miracles !

The Betrayer → Matthew 26:6-14 Jesus was at the home of Simon, a leper, when a woman came in with an expensive box of perfumed ointment. She broke it over the Lord’s feet and began to wipe them with her hair, so that the fragrance filled the house. Matthew tells us that the disciples were offended when they saw this ‘waste,’ declaring that the perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor (Matthew 26:8).

Just after this, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests in order to betray his master (Matthew 26:14-16). In John’s account of this event, we are told it was Judas himself, who made the complaint, being offended, “not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money bag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6).

I remember when a well-known international charity spent over one million dollars to make a documentary film about their work. Many of their supporters expressed indignation at such ‘waste’ and withheld their monthly contributions. They felt themselves to be justly indignant; however, within one year, the proceeds from the showing of that film, exceeded five times the cost of making it! I believe we should rather be on the cautious side when we come to spend the Lord’s money, but taking offense could be a greater source of embarrassment!

Judas was offended, so he went out to betray his master. The potential for betrayal was already there, but the offense stirred that potential into action. The result of his offense was that he no longer trusted the Lord to do what He said He would. Judas would goad Him into action. If He were the promised Messiah who would establish His kingdom in place of the Roman empire, now was the time to prove it! But only one thing was proved - that he, Judas, was a poor politician and an even poorer friend!

Judas had lost confidence in the Lord! Where is your confidence placed? What do you place your trust and your hope in? Christian ‘hope’ is an eager expectation that what He has promised, He will complete! The hymnist declares “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!” (My Hope is Built On Nothing Less, Robert Critchley).

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “not throw away [our] confidence, which has a great reward” (Hebrews 10:35).

When we are offended, a lack of hope will be the result, and therefore, we will have no confidence !

Peter’s Denial → Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75 Jesus had just come to the Mount of Olives, having instituted the communion covenant with His disciples. He now teaches them that He is about to be taken away from them.

Jesus tells His disciples, that “You shall all be offended because of Me tonight.” But Peter, being brave and foolish, says, “I will never be offended in You, even if everyone else is!” (Matthew 26:31-33). How he must have regretted those words just a few hours later! I feel for Peter because he is so much like me! How wonderful a Savior we have who, feeling his pain, would appear first to Peter after His resurrection, and before the others saw Him (Luke 24: 34). I can only imagine that scene as the two of them were reconciled through the Saviour’s love.

John and Peter entered the house of the High Priest where Jesus was being tried. As Peter passed through the doorway a slave girl said to him, “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” He responded, “I am not!” Then two more times he denies his Lord, adding some choice oaths before the roosters crow.

I like to imagine that young slave girl and her question. Could it have been possible that she was interested in the Lord and wanted to know more about Him? If Peter had acknowledged his discipleship, would she have asked him to tell her about his friend since she wanted to love Him also? However, Peter was offended , and the result of his offense was no testimony !

Many Turn Away → John 6:53-61 In this passage, Jesus is speaking some hard things to His followers. He is calling them to “eat of My flesh and drink of My blood” (John 6:53). Today, in retrospect, we understand this in terms of the communion cup and the new covenant He has called us into, but to them it was a hard saying which was difficult to understand.

Jesus asked them, “Are you offended?”

Are you offended by His call to the discipleship demanded in the communion covenant? The discipleship which is the core challenge of this book? The result of their offense was that many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him (John 6:66). The result of their offense was no community.

So we have five Biblical examples of those who were offended, with the result that they lost their fruit , confidence , and testimony . Within them there was disunity, and God didn’t do any miracles among them! Therefore we can be sure Satan must have gloated.