And blessed is he, who soever shall not be offended in me.
Blessing belongs to whoever does not stumble, take offense, lose faith, or reject Jesus because of Him. The saying was spoken to John the Baptist in his perplexity and discouragement while shut in a lonely dungeon, when he sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether He was the coming one. John had looked for the Messiah to take David's throne, establish an earthly kingdom, openly claim kingship and kingly power, overthrow Roman rule and oppressors, and judge the wicked, while Jesus instead gathered disciples, healed, taught, and served with humility.
John and his disciples were troubled, impatient, and offended that Jesus did not use His power to free John from prison and immediately claim political rule. Jesus answered by pointing to unmistakable evidence of His divinity and mission, healing the afflicted, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, healing fever and demoniacs, raising the dead, teaching the poor, and preaching the gospel, the good news of eternal life, to the poor and socially shunned, and He sent the disciples back to tell John what they saw and heard. That evidence was to be trusted despite perplexity and Jesus' unexpected manner of ministry.
The saying gently reproved and corrected John's impatience and mistaken expectations. It calls for accepting His merciful, self-sacrificing mission with faith and submission, entrusting life and death to God whether He releases or not and whether one lives or dies. Christ's works showed He was the Messiah whose kingdom would be established not by force, weapons, or political overthrow, but by mercy, self-sacrifice, and speaking to people's hearts.
The same stumbling happens when pride and fear of being mocked keep people from acknowledging the humble Nazarene in His lowly appearance, though acknowledging Him would be for their good. The same Jesus is Saviour today and is as willing to manifest His power for believers now as He was for John. So when hedged about by discouragement, adverse circumstances, and difficulties that seem impossible to surmount, there is to be no murmuring but remembrance of past loving-kindnesses and looking to Jesus to endure as seeing Him who is invisible, keeping the mind from being clouded by unbelief.
Blessing belongs to whoever does not stumble, take offense, lose faith, or reject Jesus because of Him. The saying was spoken to John the Baptist in his perplexity and discouragement while shut in a lonely dungeon, when he sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether He was the coming one. John had looked for the Messiah to take David's throne, establish an earthly kingdom, openly claim kingship and kingly power, overthrow Roman rule and oppressors, and judge the wicked, while Jesus instead gathered disciples, healed, taught, and served with humility.
John and his disciples were troubled, impatient, and offended that Jesus did not use His power to free John from prison and immediately claim political rule. Jesus answered by pointing to unmistakable evidence of His divinity and mission, healing the afflicted, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, healing fever and demoniacs, raising the dead, teaching the poor, and preaching the gospel, the good news of eternal life, to the poor and socially shunned, and He sent the disciples back to tell John what they saw and heard. That evidence was to be trusted despite perplexity and Jesus' unexpected manner of ministry.
The saying gently reproved and corrected John's impatience and mistaken expectations. It calls for accepting His merciful, self-sacrificing mission with faith and submission, entrusting life and death to God whether He releases or not and whether one lives or dies. Christ's works showed He was the Messiah whose kingdom would be established not by force, weapons, or political overthrow, but by mercy, self-sacrifice, and speaking to people's hearts.
The same stumbling happens when pride and fear of being mocked keep people from acknowledging the humble Nazarene in His lowly appearance, though acknowledging Him would be for their good. The same Jesus is Saviour today and is as willing to manifest His power for believers now as He was for John. So when hedged about by discouragement, adverse circumstances, and difficulties that seem impossible to surmount, there is to be no murmuring but remembrance of past loving-kindnesses and looking to Jesus to endure as seeing Him who is invisible, keeping the mind from being clouded by unbelief.