November, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
409
ness that lets you keep going while everybody else thinks that because you are walking you are well? Does gloom settle upon you like a merciless fog ? If Melancholy marked for a while even John the Baptist for her own, weaker souls may have many a dismal hour until they learn the forgotten beatitude of the unoffended. It is easy in times of perplexity to be offended in the Lord. It is never right, but it is some times easy. , Offended Unbelievers Let it be remembered that our Lord has been an offense to more people than has any one else in all history. He is either a Sanctuary or a Stumbling- stone (Isa. 8:14), and to His own nation He has been a Rock of Offense (Rom. 9:33). The Jews were offended when He came, and they still are offended; they do not believe He is the One who should come, so they look for another. The Pharisees were 'offended in. Him (Matt. 15:12), and Pharisees of ail the ages have stumbled over Him. Like wise, the unbelieving Nazarenes of His home town were offended in Jesus (Matt. 13:54-58). He is always an of fense to those who regard Him only as “the carpenter’s son.” They may speak well of Him, but to them He is only Man and not Emmanuel. When He is preached as Son of God, Saviour, Judge, and King, they are offended. So He cannot do many m i g h t y works with them because of their unbelief. Superficial disciples are easily of fended in Him. When He gave that mighty discourse on the Bread of Life, many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him (John 6:60- 66). Such 'disciples are everywhere; they have had no experience of grace; they have followed from temporary en thusiasm. When they face the deeper issues of the gospel, what it means to feed on the Bread of Life, they are of fended. These are they who complain of the sermon as being too hard, who moan, “Nobody could live like that!” For there is a preaching that drives some people away and, as on this oc casion, leaves an irreducible minimum saying with Peter when asked if they too would go away, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we. believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68, 69). One reason that some preachers ’proph esy smooth things instead of preaching the Bread of Life is that they are ca tering to offended disciples who cannot endure sound doctrine. Of course, the preaching of the cross is an offense; Christ crucified is to the Jews a stumblingblock and to the Greeks foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23). The cross never was more offensive than today when the crucifixion has become merely an event and not the event; when blood songs are being eliminated
from hymn books and men ridicule a “bloody gospel” and —“slaughterhouse theology.” Paul knew the offense of the cross and spoke of those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ,” who try to dodge the offense with a blood less gospel, without offense and with out effect, for a crossless Christ is as powerless as a Christless cross. Offended Christians But, alas, our Lord-is an offense not only to all these who stumble over Him; He is often an offense to true disciples. Jesus told His most faithful followers on one occasion, “All ye shall be of fended because of me this night,” and so they were (Matt. 26:31-35). They affirmed with Peter, “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee,” but a few verses down in the same chapter we read, “Then all the dis ciples forsook him, and fled.” Yes, even the soundest believers are in danger of being offended, and even John the Baptist needed to learn the forgotten beatitude. Whatever our dun geon may be, the real peril is that we shall grow disappointed with Jesus and pout with our Lord. There is no bet ter word than childish “pout,” for that is exactly the mood that envelops us in such an hour. Our hot, feverish grumbling means that we have never learned the forgotten beatitude. Air most any one can believe during fair weather. There is a deeper privilege and a higher experience that not many ever reach. It is the blessed state of the unoffended. It consists in reaching that point in our dealings with God that no matter what happens, we never pout. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”—that is the spirit of the unof fended. In such a state, whatever God does to us is all right. Trust Without Sight So, when the things we see seem to contradict what we believe, we must not be offended. We expect God to run to our rescue with every SOS we' send up. He is more likely to answer little requests of young Christians, but grown-up Christians should be mature enough so that the promises of God are sufficient for them without their demanding signs and wonders. It .is the mark of a deep Christian that he has learned to trust God no matter how circumstances and feelings misbehave. Nothing that the Lord does can upsetV that kind of believer. There is a heav enly carelessness about it all that ^-brings the peace of God (Phil. 4:6, 7). And let it not be forgotten that there
\yill be plenty that is unexplainable, sometimes ironical,, feelings and cir cumstances and events that laugh in our faces. There will be much that we simply cannot fit into any pattern, but God can fit it and He does (Rom. 8:28). There is no use blinking the facts; there is much that is plain ugly and irreconcilable and that just will not make sense to our poor little minds. I do not understand it. Neither do you. Then, DON’T TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT! If we cannot understand it, we can see to it that we are not offended. And that is greater than understanding it! How to Avoid Being Offended God did not explain to Job the prob lem of suffering. But He revealed Him self, and when Job saw God, he needed no explanation. God did not explain to Habakkuk why the wicked prosper and the righteous have so mucji trouble. But He manifested Himself, and Habak kuk bothered no_ more about his ques tions. These men thought they needed explanation when they really needed revelation. God did not answer their questions; He removed them. To see the Lord is worth more than to get our questions answered, for He is really the Answer to every question. When the Giver means more than the gift and the Blesser more than the blessing, we shall not be offended. In this dark hour of world distress, not a few believers are in the dumps over the plight of this poor earth. Like John the Baptist, they would send a delegation to Jesus, for He does not seem to be carrying on His work as they expected. The world is not being converted. It is growing worse. Has Christ failed? He is not transforming the social order nor bringing in world peace. They ask, “Is He that One who should come or look we for another?” If you are in a dungeon of this kind, be not offended in Him. Perhaps you have been mistaught. Many have mis understood His mission, message, and method. He is not Christianizing the world. He did not say He would. But blind eyes are still opening to the Light. Deaf ears are hearing His voice. Lame souls are taking up their beds and walking. Spiritual Naamans are dipping in Jordan and coming forth with flesh as a little child’s. The dead in trespasses and sins are awaking to, Christ their life and light. Around the world the lowly hear the Good News. Christ has not failed. He is carrying on exactly on schedule as He intended from the beginning. He has never missed an appointment and is never late. We need not be offended that He is not converting the world. He did not promise to do that, but to return in clouds and great glory to reign until all enemies are put under His feet. That blessed hour draws ever nearer, and the darker the days the surer His soon return.
CHRIST Has Not Failed!
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs