Jesus says in John 6:61-62, “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?’”
Everything in 2022 causes offense, so it seems. People generally do not like being offended. People generally like to have others agree with them, at least to their face. We have become a people, it seems, who wear their offense on their sleeve, who hold offenses so close to their hearts.
And then the words of Jesus, “Do you take offense at this?” Jesus says that He is God’s Living Bread offered to the word and that for one to have eternal life, one must eat this Bread (John 6:53). He continues and says that if the words offend and cause the disciples to want to leave, how much more offended will they be when God actually proves this to be true by exalting Jesus (John 6:62).
We need to learn to let Jesus offend us. We need to learn to let Jesus speak whatever the Father tells Him to speak to us so that we are called into account. We must be called into account so that we learn to recognize what areas of our hearts disbelieve. Jesus must offend us so that we realize what that we at times search for other bread to satisfy us. Offense, says Jesus, is Spirit-filled and life-giving when it comes from His mouth (John 6:63). When Jesus says offensive things to us about our lives, or about what we think is true, we need to pause, listen, accept, and realign. Jesus offends us to reshape us into children who worship, believe, follow in Spirit and in truth (John 4:21-26).
Practical Steps:
- Each morning this week, as you practice silence as a discipline, ask Jesus to sift your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Allow Jesus to share with you His Spirit-filled words of truth.
- Journal what He shares with you. Ask Him to clarify how you need to accept, believe, and realign in the areas He has revealed to you.
- Share with someone that you trust and who prays for you how Jesus has offended you. Share with them how it caused you accept His word, believe it, and realign your heart with Him.
- Ask them to pray a blessing over you so that God would seal that truth in your heart.