I have had the opportunity to talk with some people recently who, in my opinion (take it for what you paid for it!), are offended. Their life does not look like what they want it to and they are upset. And these things that they are upset about are all things that are out of their control. Only God can be in control of these things. When life is disappointing, we have the right to be upset, don't we? hmmm...
Let me ask you this -- Have you ever thought any of the following to yourself:
When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his followers to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah or if they should wait for someone else (Matthew 11 & Luke 7). This was the same John who was the forerunner to Jesus' own ministry and who proclaimed 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29). Of course John knew Jesus was the Messiah! So, why did he ask that question?
Well you see, Jesus' ministry didn't look like what anyone expected. John the Baptist certainly didn't expect that he was going to end up in prison. And while he was in prison, Jesus was out continuing His own ministry. The Bible doesn't say that Jesus visited John in prison. Do you think John felt forgotten by Jesus? He was sitting there in a dark and damp prison while Jesus continued performing miracles, healing people and bringing them into a relationship with God. But the Jesus who had the power to heal the lepers, the blind, the deaf and the lame, the Jesus who had the power to raise the dead, apparently didn't have the power to get John out of prison. Or at least that's how it seemed to John.
Here is a prayer that I think John the Baptist may have felt while in prison:
"Dear God, I've got a couple of things I'd like to talk over with you. I've got a couple of questions. You see, I have spent my entire life working for your Kingdom. From before I was born, I was chosen by You for my life's work. I have done what You called me to do - I pointed people to Your Son. And now, I am sitting in a dark, damp, lonely prison cell and that same Son hasn't even come to visit me! I sit here hungry, tired, cold and sore and meanwhile, He is out healing people! Why doesn't He come get me out of this situation? I guess Lord, what it boils down to is this: My life doesn't look like what I thought it would, so are You the real deal? Or not?" a possible prayer of John the Baptist while he was in prison
And do you know how Jesus answered John's disciples when they came and posed that question? He said
'Blessed is he who is not offended because of me.' (Matthew 11:6) Yes, John the Baptist was offended. He wanted things to look like what he thought they should look like. But do we really have the right to be upset when things look different then what we think they should look like? We think to ourselves, 'I deserve to be upset about his'.
Jesus was beaten and tortured even though He was perfectly sinless. He never spoke up and demanded His own rights. He never spoke up and said, "I am upset AND I have the right to be!"
Let me ask you this -- Have you ever thought any of the following to yourself:
- I want a husband. Why doesn't God give me a husband? I wish He would just give me a husband. Look at her over there. She has a great husband and she isn't even nice to him. If I had a husband, I would treat him so much better than that. I deserve to have a husband so God should give me one.
- I want a baby. We love children and we would be great parents so God should give us a baby of our own. Why are they having another baby? They already have 2 (or 4 or whatever) so why is God giving them another baby and I don't have one at all. It's not fair!
- This area is where I should be doing ministry. I really want to do this area of ministry. Why won't the pastor let me be in this area of ministry? I feel that I would be good at this ministry. If I don't get to do this ministry then I'm just going to be sour about the ministry and the people who are involved!
When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his followers to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah or if they should wait for someone else (Matthew 11 & Luke 7). This was the same John who was the forerunner to Jesus' own ministry and who proclaimed 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29). Of course John knew Jesus was the Messiah! So, why did he ask that question?
Well you see, Jesus' ministry didn't look like what anyone expected. John the Baptist certainly didn't expect that he was going to end up in prison. And while he was in prison, Jesus was out continuing His own ministry. The Bible doesn't say that Jesus visited John in prison. Do you think John felt forgotten by Jesus? He was sitting there in a dark and damp prison while Jesus continued performing miracles, healing people and bringing them into a relationship with God. But the Jesus who had the power to heal the lepers, the blind, the deaf and the lame, the Jesus who had the power to raise the dead, apparently didn't have the power to get John out of prison. Or at least that's how it seemed to John.
Here is a prayer that I think John the Baptist may have felt while in prison:
"Dear God, I've got a couple of things I'd like to talk over with you. I've got a couple of questions. You see, I have spent my entire life working for your Kingdom. From before I was born, I was chosen by You for my life's work. I have done what You called me to do - I pointed people to Your Son. And now, I am sitting in a dark, damp, lonely prison cell and that same Son hasn't even come to visit me! I sit here hungry, tired, cold and sore and meanwhile, He is out healing people! Why doesn't He come get me out of this situation? I guess Lord, what it boils down to is this: My life doesn't look like what I thought it would, so are You the real deal? Or not?" a possible prayer of John the Baptist while he was in prison
And do you know how Jesus answered John's disciples when they came and posed that question? He said
'Blessed is he who is not offended because of me.' (Matthew 11:6) Yes, John the Baptist was offended. He wanted things to look like what he thought they should look like. But do we really have the right to be upset when things look different then what we think they should look like? We think to ourselves, 'I deserve to be upset about his'.
Jesus was beaten and tortured even though He was perfectly sinless. He never spoke up and demanded His own rights. He never spoke up and said, "I am upset AND I have the right to be!"
So I just wonder, are we trying to live the life we would choose or the life that God has chosen?
Do we trust Him enough to let go of the offense and surrender to His plan?
