"DOTH THIS OFFEND YOU?" JOHN 6:61.
By M. B. Duffie
By a threefold promise, in the sixth chapter of John, the Lord Jesus Christ assured his disciples and followers that whosoever would comply with the conditions laid down, and believe in the efficacy of the means to be employed for its accomplishment, he would raise up at the last day. The Jews had a different course marked out to attain the same end. The Lord announced himself the Bread of Life, of which, should men partake, they would live forever. They did not want to hear him speak of himself as the Bread of Life, or to accept his assertion that their fathers, who had partaken of the bread from heaven, had fallen in death. They, therefore, strove among themselves, disputing and questioning his words. Some, even his own disciples, affirmed that what he had spoken to them was a "hard saying," and inquired among themselves, "Who can hear it?" Jesus, noting their lack of faith, suddenly yet calmly queried, "Doth this offend you?" The Lord says, in Matt. 11:6, "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me"—not be offended in him, no matter what the case may be. The cross must be lifted and borne forward in his name. As was predicted of this present time, in Mark 4:17, many are becoming offended for the word's sake. The word enjoins the observance of the seventh day of the week, and calls it "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." How often it is that, in presenting its claims to the people, they become offended at the word, and turn their ears away from hearing the law, regardless of the penalty for doing so, which is so plainly set forth in Prov. 28:9. Then, again, when it is shown in God's word that the doctrine of man's consciousness in death is entirely without scriptural foundation, straightway do many, who would have it otherwise, become suddenly offended, and steadfastly refuse to hear anything more concerning it, even declining to use their eyes to the extent of examining the evidence for themselves. An attempt is made to convince the stony-ground hearer that the Lord of the harvest is about to return to reckon with his stewards, and the cry is immediately heard, "Where is the promise of his coming?" They do not desire any change in present conditions, and they are likewise offended, proceeding to smite their fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. And yet Christ spoke his works that man might not be offended. John 16:1 reads as follows: "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended." We are assured in Ps. 119:165 that those who shall reverence the law of God will be possessed of great peace, and that nothing should offend them. If, then, we are offended by anything which the Lord through his law enjoins upon us, let us turn the search-light of his word upon our hearts, and see if we have that love for his law engraven there which will enable us to do willingly, joyfully, and gladly whatever that law requires us to do, for if it is not found so etched upon the fleshly tablets of the heart, we shall be easily and quickly offended when its claims are presented for our acceptance and obedience.