When we look at life from a natural perspective then all we
will see are the faults and failings. If you look at John the Baptist, he was
the one who said ‘behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’. Later
he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he was the one to come or
did they have to wait for someone else.
And Jesus’ reply was ‘go back and tell John all that you have seen and
heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear and the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor
and blessed is the man who does not take offence and lose faith in me’.The Greek word is ‘skandalizo’ which means to take
offence.
Why would John take offence? Many people including the Scribes and
Pharisees also took offence at the ministry of Jesus, why?
Jesus was associating with tax collectors, prostitutes and
was known as a glutton and wine drinker and Jesus was not living up to the
expectations of what John considered the Christ to be and that’s where the
offence came.
There are many churches and church people like that today.
They separate themselves away from the very people that need their help. Don’t
smoke, don’t drink, don’t curse, don’t swear and take what St Paul said in 2
Cor 6 literally and separate themselves and keep aloof from everyone else, but
that needs to be balanced with what Jude said in his letter that ‘when there
are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom
you must be kind with great caution’.
When we begin to see people through the eyes of Christ, then
we will begin to see all the potential and the good that they can offer, then
we will begin to sacrifice our own lives and our own reputations so that all that potential and good can come
forth.
Jesus saw the potential in the woman caught in adultery when
everyone else was accusing her.
The Lord saw in Gideon ‘a mighty warrior’, when he was crouching
with fear in the winepress.
He saw in Peter a rock when Peter saw himself as a failure
by returning to his nets; God looks at the finished work. He can change anyone.
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