By: Carolyn Kincaid
Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Offense!

   John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the Messiah. After all, he was the one baptizing Jesus when the Holy Spirit descended on Him and God’s voice came from heaven stating that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:16—17). So why did John send his disciples to Jesus (John was sitting in prison) asking if He was the Messiah? After all, John himself testified earlier that God had told him Jesus was the Chosen One (or Son) of God (John 1:34).

   The real question is why did John even question something he knows? What I think is that John was being very human. He had a certain picture in his mind of what it would look like when the Messiah came and him being in prison was NOT in that picture. I think I am like this. I picture that in living for Christ my life will go a certain way. Can you relate?

   I’ve had a situation in my life I would have never in a million years expected if I lived a good christian life! And it hurts! It makes me angry! So I can understand if John felt he wasn’t being treated fairly. I can understand him questioning if Jesus was really the Messiah.

   But what Jesus told John’s disciples to go back and  tell John is the same thing He’s saying to me today, “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me,” (Matt. 11:6 NLT). God is the one in charge. He is my Creator. When I gave my life to Him, He became my Master. Can I now say that because He isn’t doing things my way He’s not in charge anymore? Of course I can say it, but to Whom would I now go? Either I give Him total control or I don’t. Either I serve Him or I don’t. And I choose to not be offended. I choose Jesus.

   Even as I wrote this for myself I was thinking, “How will I word this to still get the same effect for Potpourri for the Soul without outing my loved one?” It’s so much more powerful if I write my true pain. But I can’t. Once again, not how I expected my life to go. Each time a solution presented itself I thought things would go a certain way—but they didn’t. I’ve been wrong so many times. This also is something that I need to not take offense with Christ because of. What an ah-ha moment this is for me!

   Jesus goes on to give us more of a picture of the Kingdom of Heaven and how it’s very different from what we might picture. God even uses opposites—John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and people said, “He’s possessed by a demon.” Jesus, on the other hand came feasting and drinking, and they said, “He’s a glutton and drunkard, and a friend of sinners!” We can’t go on expecting God to do things our way—He’s God and sees from a totally different perspective. So true is Jesus final statement as He talked about this, “But wisdom is shown to be right by its results,” (Matthew 11:19). And we won’t see the final results until we’re on the other side of eternity.

   The point? For me, this has been a moment in time where I’ve had to take a hard look at what and Who I believe. Will I still choose to believe Jesus even when the road is rocky? What about you? In your brokenness what or Who will you believe? For me, the brokenness would be there whether I lived for Jesus or not so—I’ll choose Jesus every day. Without Him the brokenness wouldn’t have healing and with Him I’m able to live in that healing every day.