Reggie Weems Blog

American Christians live in a world surrounded by unbelievers who regulary assert and often demand their rights.  It is an “eye for an eye” law-suit happy culture.  Get even or get run over.  Immersed by our work, school or friendships, it is very easy for believers to become also become ‘me’ centered.  Such thinking makes it easy for Christians to be offended.  Our skin becomes so thin that we are offended in a world in which our Lord prophesied that “offenses would come” BUT that He would recompense every offence (Matthew 18:7, Luke 17:1).  I think our Pennsylvania Amish friends can quote those verses.   
 
We are easily offended because we doubt God’s sovereign care.  Our faithlessness leads to fear and fear makes us easily offendable and causes us to respond like unbelievers.  We feel the need to defend ourselves because we doubt God’s willingness or ability to do it for us.  We could be Amish excpet for our M-16.  Receiving offenses without retaliating reveals a sincere belief that God uses all things “good” and “bad” to shape our character.  Being unoffendable honors a God Who alone should seek vengeance and always does justly.  By the way, God can open and shut lions’ mouths as well as the mouths of those who intentionally or accidentally offend us.  If He does not, it is probably a lesson for us to learn more about ourselves than those who have offended us.   
 
Only Jesus Christ was genuinely justifified in seeking His rights, or revenge or reverence. He did not!  On the other hand, we want to be right and we want everyone to know it.  We want to be respected, held in esteem, looked upon with regard.  This is entirely contrary to the “contrite spirit” (Psalm 51:17) and “humble attitude” (Philippians 2:5-8) exemplified by Christ and commanded in Scripture.  Sadly, the internet has to easily provided us with a safe, sometimes anonymous opportunity to blatantly disobey Matthew 18 and show off our pride for the entire world to see our immaturity and carnality.  We are compelled to defend our honor, rectify the world’s wrongs and point out our brothers’ errors.  All this from a depraved saint!?   
 
Contrary to us, our Savior was willing to be “despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3).  When offended, He “spoke not a word” (Matthew 24:17).  He didn’t respond to injury by trying to hurt his accusers.  He did not defend His rights or state His side of the case.  He never retaliated.  He did not seek His own rights but forgave those who offended Him; even to the cross (Luke 23:34).  Perhaps we should wait until we can claim to be God and are unjustly crucified on a cross before we start slinging mud.  Until then we need to remember that we too, like those who offend us, are made of mud.  Or maybe we should ask the Amish what it means to be a Christian?  Humbly and patiently accepting offenses creates Christ-like character.  Doing otherwise…well, it is so evident that we far too often succumb to worldliness.  In so doing, we become exactly like the very people we are complaining about.  When we become the offenders who will protect those whom we offend?  God Himself.           
 
Let’s face it.  We may be often offended but offend far more often.  The ability to quietly accept offenses without demanding our rights or retaliating runs counter to almost everything American, even American Christianity.  Being easily offended, and responding as we normally do, is not a Christ-like, Spirit-filled, biblically based, eternity-driven mindset.  Every day we make the conscious choice to behave like playground children fighting over the toy of human approval.  How dare someone step on the territory of our rights without asking or apologizing? All the while, the world is literally dying to see Christ in us.  The Amish make us look like nonChristians.  Perhaps we should worry that we aren’t.    
 
This is exactly what Paul meant when he told the Philippians that by witnessing his constant willingness to die for them, he could fill up “the sufferings of Christ.”  His readers did not see Christ suffer for them. However, Paul’s suffering was a visible witness to God’s redemptive actions and a living reminder that love for the church drove Christ to the cross.  We provide the world with every reason not to believe in God when we demand our rights, stand up for ourselves and retaliate in ways that are totally contrary to the cross’ life-changing power.  Who are those Amish people to think they can teach us how to forgive?  We want our rights.  We want revenge.  We want someone to hurt as much as we have been hurt.  All in the name of Christ.   
 
Whatever happened to rejoicing when we are grossly misrepresented, when we are lied about, when someone intentionally tries to hurt us?  Is Matthew 5:11 still in the Bible?  Why do we act like Jesus is still in the tomb and our defense rests in our hands?  Can we not trust the Judge of the living and the dead?  Is our God not strong enough to comfort us and simultaneously deal with our enemies?   Whatever happened to believers accepting offenses because we understand that ”offenses must come” but that God has issued a very stern “woe” to those who offend? 

Our God will arise and His enemies will be scattered. Until then, a patient hope in our immortal and just God will render us quite unoffendable in a very offensive world.  Would that be too Amish? It’s certainly Christ-like.