April 14, 2010

The Luke passage again reminded me of the problem of offenses (remember the walled city).  What He says shows us how very serious offenses are.  Here, Jesus is teaching us about what we need to do to avoid offenses.  Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17: 1-4

Notice that everybody's talking in the last scenario.  Offenses come when we don't talk to our brothers and sisters.  He's speaking about our family in the faith-- people in a Family whose whole foundation is God's total forgiveness.  He instructs us to tell them what they did wrong, that is, when they do something to us that is sinful (He doesn't mean go around and correct everybody for everything!  This is personal).  And He doesn't say, go point out the person's repeat errors. He says if they do it again and come and repent to you, let them know you forgive them, over and over.  This is a great way for us to get trained in a righteous behavior, by practicing accountability.  Notice that this brother is not offended, since he keeps asking for forgiveness. And we are walking in forgiveness, which means we've released it to the Lord.

Pay attention, though: Jesus said "Take heed to yourselves."  We're being careful here not to create an offense.  And not to take offense ourself.  We all sin on a regular basis.  We get offended when we don't get things aired out.  If I let someone sin against me over and over, and I don't point it out to them, it is too easy to become hard of heart, bitter and unforgiving.  Soon my fellowship with God and others is ruined.  This is offense.  Jesus didn't say, "If your brother offends you."  We choose to be offended.  If we do as Jesus said, we keep ouselves clear.  Guarding against offense means we must act against it before it comes, because once we're offended, we're probably going to need to be rescued (delivered).

We must understand how we could possibly create an offense, so we can be careful not to do so.  We help create an offense by not speaking correction at the proper time.  Consider this:  what if, later on, the person realizes they've been sinning all this time, and you didn't tell them.  What if they reaped all sorts of bad consequences for their sin that could have been avoided by honesty. 

We also create a situation for offense when we wound someone and do not admit it and ask them to forgive us for our sin.  It's not enough to repent privately to God and know we're forgiven.  If someone is harboring something against us (we used to call it "an ought" from the King James, and all that means is "something"), then things are not healthy, and we are all hindered.  The Kingdom of God is a lot about right relationship.  These things can contribute to people taking offense-- not only against you, but against the whole church, and eventually God.  They create opportunities for the devil to steal, kill and destroy.

The direst circumstance of creating offense is against "one of these little ones."  I see this as little either in the natural, as a young child, or young in the family of God.  I think a "little one" can be anyone you are have authority over.  When a person in authority-- such as a parent, or a spiritual leader-- sins against those in their protection-- those who trust and follow them-- they create a situation where the rebuke-repent-forgive scenario (open communication) cannot usually take place. 

"Little ones" will usually be too afraid to approach the authority to confront them about a sin.  If they do attempt it, most of the time, they are repelled, and will never attempt it again.  The young, untrained, and immature have the ability to forgive a parent or leader's sin without speaking about it to them (and most of the time to no one but God), but if the sin is very heinous or repeated, and it is not humbly confessed, this places a burden on these little ones that, too many times, cannot be overcome without help. 

Parents are mistaken if they think they should never admit wrong to their children. [In order to keep from defiling them unnecessarily, we confess only what the child already knows about].  Humble repentance is always in good order.  Children respond very gracefully to it, are very forgiving (unless they are already offended), and learn by the example. 

Our responsibility as Christians, especially if we are in a place of maturity and leadership, is to do everything we can to guard against offense.  Offense causes people to build terrible walls around their heart and life.  These walls become fortresses that keep people from loving and receiving love, and often make people lash out angrily.  If we realize we have helped create an offense, we must get on our face and repent before God, seeking Him as to how to restore the person or people.  It will not be easy, but nothing is impossible with God. 

Having been in the place of offense myself, on both sides, I can testify that the feeling is much like Jesus described: a millstone tied around one's neck and drowning in the sea.  Until we realize how horrible it is to treat people in this way, and how unbearable it is to be in this place, we will not be diligent enough.

I have not discussed sinning against, and causing offense, in unbelievers.  How has the world been affected by the professing Christian who does not walk in love or obey Christ's commands?  What must we do to deliver the world from offense?