Luke 7:18-28
The Jesus Scandal
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I grew up hearing this on repeat all throughout my school days. We were taught that we shouldn’t let words affect us because in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter what someone might say about you. It wasn’t worth getting upset over it because you can simply brush it off and move on with your day. And of course, there’s a lot of truth to that. We shouldn’t always react to what other people say especially when we know it’s nothing but a lie. Yet, we’ve also learned in the last several years that words do hurt us. When people say mean things, it’s not completely without effect. As a Christian, this is the essence of the eighth commandment, “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” We’re not supposed to say something that’s a lie or harmful concerning our neighbor. A damaged reputation bears with it harm as well. As the old catechism said it, “we’re to speak everything in the kindest way.” Yet, the problem in our world today is that we went from “words will never hurt me,” to “take offense at everything!” There’s been this overreaction to the downplaying of harm caused by words so that now it seems like people take offense at every word spoken. Now, we might truly be trying to speak in the kindest way, yet someone will inevitably still be offended. For this is part of why we find it so difficult now to witness to an unbelieving world. No matter how we talk about our faith, people will be offended by it.
Yet, in our Gospel lesson today, we find out that this isn’t anything new. People have taken offense to our faith throughout every age. Why is that? Well, because our faith is literally a scandal to the world. What people now expect out of God differs greatly from the reality of who God is. This is why Jesus teaches us today:
BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO IS NOT OFFENDED BY ME!
I.
John the Baptist had been pointing to Jesus all throughout his own ministry. John was the one who even points directly to Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” Yet, here it seems as though John isn’t sure anymore about Jesus’ identity. Why is that? Well, for one, John was imprisoned for the very message he spoke. He spoke against the marriage of King Herod with his brother’s wife, and for that, he was arrested. But, consider the question he sends his disciples with, as we read, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Luke 7:19 (20). There’s a tone of doubt embedded in these words. Are you the one? Because if you are, then why aren’t we seeing what we’ve been promised? And if you’re not the one, why do you go around claiming to be? Why are you getting our hopes up again for a lie? Yes, the expectations that the people had for the Messiah weren’t matching up with who they were seeing. This isn’t to say that Jesus wasn’t doing miraculous things, as his response goes, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” Luke 7:22-23.
Israel’s issue and our issue today is that no matter how amazing and wonderful Jesus seems, he’s not the amazing and wonderful we desire. Or put another way, what we expect Jesus to do for us isn’t what we see him actually do. It’s no secret that most people today have constructed their own version of Jesus, what they expect from him, how they think he’ll act, and even what Jesus believes. And should you tell them any different, they become offended. For you know what probably is the most common trait people believe is… that Jesus will help me, but punish everyone else who disagrees with me. For when Jesus confronts us, when the real Jesus reveals himself to us, will we become offended or will we recognize him for who he really is?
II.
This is the scandal of our faith, the scandal of Jesus. He doesn’t fit into our nice, neat boxes of who we think he is. For Jesus isn’t a capitalist, nor is he a social justice warrior. Jesus isn’t a Democrat or a Republican. Jesus isn’t for the poor any more than he’s for the rich. Jesus doesn’t fit our expectations because he came to be the literal opposite of all this world desires. For this world desires sin. It desires power, authority, and fame. This is what turns off so many people to Christianity that Jesus comes for none of these things, nor anything we would expect. Rather, he comes for you and me. He comes to be the savior of every man, woman, and child. Young and old, rich and poor, every nation, and tribe, and peoples. For consider the answer he gives John’s disciples. He doesn’t give a simple yes. Rather, he describes, he shows, he demonstrates the very savior he is. He heals, he gives, he raises, he preaches! And blessed is the one who isn’t offended by Jesus!
Let us lay aside then, every expectation and desire we have lest we miss Jesus’ true work. For Jesus doesn’t come to vanquish our enemies but rather his. He wasn’t the military general Israel thought he’d be. Rather, Jesus came in weakness. He came in humility and lowliness. He came to tell you that your worldview is entirely upside down. But he doesn’t just tell us, he shows us… by going to the cross. For this is the greatest scandal in our world, that the Lord of all creation would humble himself to die on a cross. By his death, Jesus claims victory and not defeat. For his enemies weren’t people. His enemies were Satan, sin, and death. For it was their own power that becomes their downfall. This is why we teach that happiness is found in humility and modesty, not pleasure. True life is found through suffering and struggle, not abundance. True wisdom sounds foolish to the world. And eternity is found in no one else than Jesus Christ!
While many may still take offense at these words, may we be blessed who see Jesus for who he truly is… the one who comes to us to forgive us our sins, to die upon the cross, and to be our savior. Let us rejoice that Jesus has come for us and will return to bring us unto paradise eternal! In Jesus’ name! Amen!