Jesus the Offender

“And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.” Matthew 11:6

Stumbling over – The scandal of Jesus.  That’s the word.  Skandalizo, “to cause to stumble or to take offense”.  It comes from the noun that means the trigger of a trap.  It’s the thing that we bump into and suddenly we are caught.

How is it possible for Jesus to say, “Happy are the ones who bump into me and are not caught”?  What did He mean by this odd imagery?

I bump into “love your enemies” and it doesn’t offend me.

I trip the trigger on “forgive those who persecute you and do good to those who harm you” and I don’t end up in the dirt of anger and revenge.

I give all I have whenever He asks and I am not ashamed to be without.

I stop trying to earn my way with God, and I stop demanding that others earn His grace too.  I am joyful in the reckless freedom of it all.

I don’t expect the world to love me.  It didn’t love Him either.

I set my mind on the things of the Kingdom and am not afraid to be “out of touch”.

I proclaim Jesus as my guide, confidant, friend and savior and I am willing to accept the consequences.

“Blessed”, says Jesus.  We know that word.  Makarios, the opening word in each Beatitude.  “Full of joy and happiness, absolutely lucky beyond measure”.  Is that your reaction to the presence of Jesus?  Are you walking on air with Him?  Or do you avoid the subject and try to fit in?  Jesus is the stumbling block.  The world is designed so that you cannot get around Him.  It’s either joy or avoidance.  Blessed or trapped.

What have you done about Jesus today?