Offenses, the Offender and the Offended
Offences, the Offender and the Offended
May be you have not thought about it in this light, but classes of people make their living and are well paid because of offences. In fact, if there were no offences, there will be no lawyers, judges, small or supreme courts. Some of us reading this are lawyers by profession, so you may understand this better. It may even surprise you to hear that lawyers are in an ordained profession and some are gifted by God to be good lawyers. Don’t worry about a few bad apples (I don’t mean New York lawyers) and every profession have those any way even in my trained profession of accountancy. Some accountants can cook the books too and we have seen it in Enron and other companies.
When it comes to offences and being offended, Jesus is telling us, “get over it”. It is a fact of life. You and I will be offended and will offend others. So, what else is Jesus saying regarding this undeniable human dynamics? What are our responsibilities and what should be our expectations as we relate to one another? Let’s hear Jesus speak.
Luke 17: 1-4:
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Here are my observations from the passage in addition to the ones you may:
1. Always watch the audience of Jesus. Here again Jesus is speaking to his disciples, you and I. It is very critical we get this because we make wrong assumptions about others and ourselves when it comes to offenses and after we have given our lives to Christ. Yes, a Christian and even the most pious of us can offend and be offended.
2. “It is impossible that no offenses should come”. Really Jesus? You must be kidding. The word in Greek translated offenses has root word (scandal) and other meaning such as “a trap-stick, to entrap, trip up, stumble, entice to sin, snare and stumbling block”. Are you a trap-stick? Or some times we may say “here comes a trip or she is a trip”. We are all “trips”, let’s face it. You are a trip. You are probably offended by now and that is the point. We easily and often trip people through our big mouths. Someone said that is why our tongue is caged inside our mouth. Hey, watch you mouth, you trip. Don’t worry, I am a trip too.
3. Are you shocked when someone offends you? Then you need to pinch yourself and make sure you are still alive. The only one who should not be shocked or surprised by offence is a dead person. Go to a funeral and try it; slap and yell at a dead person and watch his reactions. I guess Jesus is saying, “If you don’t want to be shocked by offences, then die to yourself and let me take over living my resurrected life through you”
4. When was the last time you were offended. I hope you are not one of those who are offended every one of the 24 hours a day. So your uncle, mama, niece, cousin, wife or husband offended you 20 years ago at the Thanksgiving dinner. “Get over it” That is what Jesus is saying.
5. Jesus is saying, look, there is a price for being a trip or going around offending every person. The fact that offenses must occur does not mean it should become our life style to offend especially “the little ones”. Who are “the little ones”? Of course, the obvious are the children and anyone of God’s children whether adults or little children. It also could mean people who are lower in rank and we have influence over them at home, school or work. We are not to take advantage of people just because of our position. Some of you are saying, you are talking about my boss or husband or even wife. He/she is always talking down on me. Don’t be shocked. Hear the rest of Jesus’ counsel.
6. “Rebuke him” not yell back. In other words, tell the offender that you are offended. Don’t make a “stew” inside of yourself. If you don’t tell the person, one of these days, you are going to explode and “go postal” because you have been boiling inside. “Forgive him or her”, seven times in a day? You have to be kidding again Jesus. In another scripture, Jesus even said, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). Now, this is why many do not like Jesus. He is always saying impossible things for us to comply with. And that is the point. It is impossible for you and I to forgive anyone even for one count of offence, talk more of 490 times in a day. Some of us are still brewing and stewing with just one offence from twenty years ago.
7. Yes but you are saying Jesus said “if he repents, forgive him”. Don’t’ count on them coming to you to repent. Let’s get it clear and that is the point Jesus making. There is zero likelihood of the offender coming to you to ask for forgiveness. Your part is to tell them you are offended and forgive them. You are not responsible for their repentance. Let’s focus on our own assignment. You will hope and pray they repent but that is between the offender and God. Guess what? Jesus was not waiting for you to repent before he forgave you. “While we were still sinners, Jesus died for our sins”. Jesus is asking us to do for others, the same thing He has done for us. We still offend him and yes when we confess our sins he forgives us. Have you offended any one? Don’t brush it off, let’s ask for forgiveness.
Offenses! You will be offended and it must surely come. “Get over it”. I am sorry it is Jesus saying that to you and me. I know some of the offenses are so egregious such as sexual abuse that I am not making light of it in anyway. We may need even professional counselors to help us heal properly. Offender, watch your mouth and repent and ask for forgiveness. Stop being a “trip” trip. Offended, stop brewing and tell the offender and forgive. Yes, easier said and than done. Someone said not forgiving is like carrying a rotten potato around your back and the more you carry it the more rotten it is and you are the one who suffer the most of the smell. Unfortunately, others around you smell and feel the rottenness. You come across as “having a chip on your shoulder” so to say. Let’s give it up and forgive. Find the nearest person to you now and practice this. There is very likelihood that you have offended him/her or likewise he/she has offended you. May God help us. Amen.
May be you have not thought about it in this light, but classes of people make their living and are well paid because of offences. In fact, if there were no offences, there will be no lawyers, judges, small or supreme courts. Some of us reading this are lawyers by profession, so you may understand this better. It may even surprise you to hear that lawyers are in an ordained profession and some are gifted by God to be good lawyers. Don’t worry about a few bad apples (I don’t mean New York lawyers) and every profession have those any way even in my trained profession of accountancy. Some accountants can cook the books too and we have seen it in Enron and other companies.
When it comes to offences and being offended, Jesus is telling us, “get over it”. It is a fact of life. You and I will be offended and will offend others. So, what else is Jesus saying regarding this undeniable human dynamics? What are our responsibilities and what should be our expectations as we relate to one another? Let’s hear Jesus speak.
Luke 17: 1-4:
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Here are my observations from the passage in addition to the ones you may:
1. Always watch the audience of Jesus. Here again Jesus is speaking to his disciples, you and I. It is very critical we get this because we make wrong assumptions about others and ourselves when it comes to offenses and after we have given our lives to Christ. Yes, a Christian and even the most pious of us can offend and be offended.
2. “It is impossible that no offenses should come”. Really Jesus? You must be kidding. The word in Greek translated offenses has root word (scandal) and other meaning such as “a trap-stick, to entrap, trip up, stumble, entice to sin, snare and stumbling block”. Are you a trap-stick? Or some times we may say “here comes a trip or she is a trip”. We are all “trips”, let’s face it. You are a trip. You are probably offended by now and that is the point. We easily and often trip people through our big mouths. Someone said that is why our tongue is caged inside our mouth. Hey, watch you mouth, you trip. Don’t worry, I am a trip too.
3. Are you shocked when someone offends you? Then you need to pinch yourself and make sure you are still alive. The only one who should not be shocked or surprised by offence is a dead person. Go to a funeral and try it; slap and yell at a dead person and watch his reactions. I guess Jesus is saying, “If you don’t want to be shocked by offences, then die to yourself and let me take over living my resurrected life through you”
4. When was the last time you were offended. I hope you are not one of those who are offended every one of the 24 hours a day. So your uncle, mama, niece, cousin, wife or husband offended you 20 years ago at the Thanksgiving dinner. “Get over it” That is what Jesus is saying.
5. Jesus is saying, look, there is a price for being a trip or going around offending every person. The fact that offenses must occur does not mean it should become our life style to offend especially “the little ones”. Who are “the little ones”? Of course, the obvious are the children and anyone of God’s children whether adults or little children. It also could mean people who are lower in rank and we have influence over them at home, school or work. We are not to take advantage of people just because of our position. Some of you are saying, you are talking about my boss or husband or even wife. He/she is always talking down on me. Don’t be shocked. Hear the rest of Jesus’ counsel.
6. “Rebuke him” not yell back. In other words, tell the offender that you are offended. Don’t make a “stew” inside of yourself. If you don’t tell the person, one of these days, you are going to explode and “go postal” because you have been boiling inside. “Forgive him or her”, seven times in a day? You have to be kidding again Jesus. In another scripture, Jesus even said, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). Now, this is why many do not like Jesus. He is always saying impossible things for us to comply with. And that is the point. It is impossible for you and I to forgive anyone even for one count of offence, talk more of 490 times in a day. Some of us are still brewing and stewing with just one offence from twenty years ago.
7. Yes but you are saying Jesus said “if he repents, forgive him”. Don’t’ count on them coming to you to repent. Let’s get it clear and that is the point Jesus making. There is zero likelihood of the offender coming to you to ask for forgiveness. Your part is to tell them you are offended and forgive them. You are not responsible for their repentance. Let’s focus on our own assignment. You will hope and pray they repent but that is between the offender and God. Guess what? Jesus was not waiting for you to repent before he forgave you. “While we were still sinners, Jesus died for our sins”. Jesus is asking us to do for others, the same thing He has done for us. We still offend him and yes when we confess our sins he forgives us. Have you offended any one? Don’t brush it off, let’s ask for forgiveness.
Offenses! You will be offended and it must surely come. “Get over it”. I am sorry it is Jesus saying that to you and me. I know some of the offenses are so egregious such as sexual abuse that I am not making light of it in anyway. We may need even professional counselors to help us heal properly. Offender, watch your mouth and repent and ask for forgiveness. Stop being a “trip” trip. Offended, stop brewing and tell the offender and forgive. Yes, easier said and than done. Someone said not forgiving is like carrying a rotten potato around your back and the more you carry it the more rotten it is and you are the one who suffer the most of the smell. Unfortunately, others around you smell and feel the rottenness. You come across as “having a chip on your shoulder” so to say. Let’s give it up and forgive. Find the nearest person to you now and practice this. There is very likelihood that you have offended him/her or likewise he/she has offended you. May God help us. Amen.
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