It seems people are more easily
offended with each passing day.
Assuming that we are on the
receiving end, how are we to respond?
That depends on whom you choose to
listen to,
The world tells us one thing.
It will tell us we need to
stand up for ourselves.
It will tell us that we need
to respond in kind and exchange hurt for hurt.
In stark contrast, Jesus
tells us to forgive.
He does this in the Sermon
on the Mount.
We might be tempted to say to Him, “But Jesus, You just don’t
understand!”
“You don’t know what it’s like.”
Really?
Think again,
Jesus was often insulted, though not always to His face.
When the disciples were first called, Philip told Nathanael
about his encounter with Jesus.
How did Nathanael respond?
John 1:46 (NET) - Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of
Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.”
Then there was the time Jesus was teaching in the synagogue,
Some heard His teaching and were amazed.
Others were offended.
Mark 6:3 (NET) - Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother
of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so
they took offense at him.
In the male dominant society of the day, one can read the
insult that was intended.
Finally, there was the matter of His crucifixion.
Crucifixion is perhaps the cruelest and most painful form of
execution ever devised by man.
Prior to this he was beaten without mercy.
Throughout this ordeal, people hurled insult after insult at
Jesus.
As an additional insult, Jesus was executed with common
criminals.
Did Jesus retaliate?
No. Jesus forgave even as an angry mob continued to insult
Him.
Luke 23:34 (NET) - But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they
don’t know what they are doing.”
Jesus tells us to forgive and that in and of itself is
sufficient reason for us to do so.
Beyond that we must ask ourselves one final question.
If Jesus forgave so very much, shouldn’t we be willing to
forgive so very little in comparison?
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on
Friday, September 1, 2017.
I will be back here on Friday, September 8, 2017
