Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4-6
Who really takes offense at Jesus? I've met a few people who have but the majority take more offense at the actions of his followers and in many cases, rightly so. This is probably because we have made the habit of looking more so at his birth, death an resurrection than His words. His words can truly come across offensive when he says things like "leave your family and follow me and if you don't you are not worthy of me." or "how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven?". These are just a couple that can sting upon first glance. They do me!
He never offends the poor though, either the poor in spirit who know their neediness or even the poor in resources of the world. There are always exceptions but more often it is the rich who have no need of God. The poor also, can be harsh and desperate. We all can be.
Total self-sufficiency is a true enemy of hearing Jesus. This is hard in a culture that preaches self-sufficiency as a core value. And yet we often claim some sort of Christian identity.
The offense is not heaven when you die. That is actually a pretty easy sale. A hard sale is the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy";"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be call children of God"; “If someone strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other to be struck"; "Do not lend expecting repayment.". Many pragmatic logical thinkers will say "But if we listen to him, we may be killed" or "Our world's economy and structure will crumble" this is true and none of this easy! It is impossible, except by the Holy Spirit. I in no way have it mastered. I am a truly flawed but loved disciple.
The words from the mouth of God incarnate cannot be easy. How could they be? Can we figure him out? Hardly. It's a mystery of the dramatically difficult call that is drenched in grace and love. The difficulty of grace and works. The difficulty of subconsciously believing we can save ourselves. Either by believing the right things or doing the right things or some combination of both.
Every time I think I have something figured out God messes with my perspective and seems to broaden it. This doesn't mean we are all adrift in confusion. It means its a journey of trust. If our perspective never changes on any issue or belief from the time we first believed are we really listening to the still small voice of God? Or the voice of our projected image of God? Only God knows and that is a pain in the ass of trusting!
Be blessed friends. You don't always take offense at Jesus. His words can cut through our BS when we let them. It hurts at times and is pure joy at others.
May you know and become increasingly aware that you are the poor to whom the Good News is being brought.
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