And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.
The prejudices against Christianity considered
I. Those prejudices and objections which the world had against the saviour and his religion at their first appearance; also to inquire into those which men at this day insist upon; and to show the unreasonableness of them.
1. That Christianity was a great innovation, and contrary to the received institutions of the world.
2. They objected against the plainness and simplicity of the doctrine.
3. That it wanted demonstration.
4. That the low and suffering condition of our Saviour was unsuitable to one that pretended to be the Son of God.
II. To consider the prejudices and objections which men at this day insist upon against our saviour and his religion.
1. Some that relate to the incarnation of our Saviour.
2. To the time of His appearance. Why did He not come sooner?
3. That we have not now sufficient evidence of the truth of Christianity.
4. That the terms of it seem very hard, and to lay too great restraints upon human nature.
5. That it is apt to despoil men, and to break the vigour and courage of their minds.
6. The divisions and factions that are among Christians.
7. The wicked lives of the greatest part of the professors of Christianity.
III. How happy a thing it is to escape the common prejudices men are apt to entertain against religion-“Blessed is he,” etc. This will appear if we consider-
1. That prejudice does many times sway and bias men against the plainest truths.
2. Prejudice will bias men in matters of the greatest concernment, in things that concern the honour of God and the good of others and our own welfare.
3. The consequences of men’s prejudices in these things prove many times fatal and destructive.
4. There are few in comparison who have the happiness to escape and overcome the common prejudices which men are apt to entertain against religion. (J. Tillotson, D. D.)
Taking offence at the gospel
I. what are the offences which are generally taken at the gospel of Christ?
1. The poverty and meanness in which our Saviour appeared was the earliest objection to the gospel. This prejudice arises from a false conception of the power and majesty of God, as if the success of His purposes depended upon the visible fitness of the instruments He made choice of; or as if the majesty of God wants the little supports of outward pomp as that of man does. But would the advantages with respect to men have been greater had Christ appeared in greater splendour? The majesty of God must be veiled to be seen by the human eye. But did not Christ give sight to the blind, and triumph over death? Do princes and greatest men perform such works? Do these not manifest Divine power?
2. The next offence is that men do not find the wisdom they seek after in the gospel.
(1) But this objection must rise to our creation, with God for not making us wiser than we are.
(2) This objection does not affect the practice of religion.
(3) That the gospel has given us the greatest evidence for the certainty of those things that can be desired.
3. The last offence is that the gospel contains mysterious truths.
(1) This objection does not reach the gospel use of the word, nor can affect the mysteries contained in the gospel.
(2) That the use of the word, which is liable to this objection, does not in any way belong to the gospel; nor are there any such mysteries in the gospel as may justify the complaint made against them. (T. Sherlock, D. D.)
Offended with Christ
I. There are some who are so offended in christ that they never, trust him at all or accept him as their Saviour.
1. Some in His own day were offended with Him because of the humbleness of His appearance. They said, “He is the sun of a carpenter.”
2. There are others who reject Him because of the fewness of His followers.
3. Some are offended with Christ because of the grandeur of His claims. He claims to be God.
4. Some are offended with our Lord because of His atonement.
5. Some are offended because of the graciousness of the gospel. They prefer works.
6. Some are offended because of the holiness of His precepts. They like liberty to sin.
II. There are some who join the church of Jesus Christ who after a time are offended.
1. Because the novelty wears off.
2. Because they thought that they were always going to be happy.
3. Because they have met an opposition they did not expect from their enemies.
4. Because they began to find that religion entailed more self-denial than they had reckoned upon.
5. Because of the hard speeches of those who ought to have encouraged them.
6. Because of the ill conduct of professors.
7. Through trials of providence.
III. There are some who are not offended in Christ, and they are declared to be blessed.
1. Apart from anything else it is a blessed thing to have grace enough given you to hold fast to Christ under all circumstances.
2. Then you shall find a blessedness growing out of your fidelity,
3. But what blessedness awaits you. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
I. Who are the persons that are offended at Christ?
1. Those who discredit the authenticity of His Word.
2. Who deny the Divinity of His Person.
3. Who reject the efficacy of His atonement.
4. Wide despise the influences of His Spirit.
5. Who backslide from the profession of His name.
II. The things at which they are offended.
1. The meanness of His birth.
2. The sufferings of His life.
3. The simplicity of His doctrines,
4. The poverty of His followers.
5. The ignominy of His death.
III. The blessedness of those who are not offended at Christ.
1. Divine peace (Psalms 119:1-176.).
2. Divine comforts (Psalms 89:16).
3. Divine care (1 Peter 5:7).
4. Divine honours (1 Samuel 2:30).
5. Eternal reward,
6. To be offended at Christ displays the greatest ignorance. (The Pulpit.)
The offence of Christ
I. With regard to those things which render the redeemer an offence to the world.
1. The mysterious constitution of His nature.
2. The humbling tendency of the doctrines.
3. The exclusive character of His religion.
II. The blessedness of those who are not offended in the Saviour. How is it that some embrace the Saviour, and others are offended at Him? The reception of Him is the result of Divine illumination.
III. The best means of attaining this blessedness.
1. Earnest Prayer.
2. Seek God in His Word.
3. A holy life. (E. Thompson, M. A.)
Offences against Christianity no just grounds for infidelity
1. The objections grounded on the nature of the religion, and what it has effected.
2. On the controversies about it.
3. On the conduct of its professors. (S. Jenner, B. A.)
Offended in Christ
The fact that our Lord directed His reply to John himself, for his personal satisfaction. John knew that Jesus was Messiah, but he did not know that His kingdom was to be a spiritual, not a temporal one. Two objections were taken against Christ of old. Jews pretended that His condition of life was too low and mean for what their prophets had taught them to expect; and the Gentiles objected to His doctrine, as not displaying enough of what they called wisdom. He should have come as a philosopher, or as a temporal king. But He did come, unassisted by human power, or dignity, or wisdom, and thus He was-
I. Enabled to be the pattern of all virtue.
II. The spread of His kingdom in so short a time, the more fully displays the hand of God.
III. His miracles acquire a greater degree of evidence, and-
IV. What He taught is now not liable to be charged with those suspicions, which royalty and conquest would justly have raised. (Zachary Pearce.)
Offences taken at Christianity
I. It is not to be expected that a religion, though truly Divine, should be entirely exempt from everything of difficulty, or liable to no manner of objection.
II. Not a few of the offences taken at religion, at that of Jesus in particular, may, they do in fact, arise entirely from men themselves, rather than from any real occasion that religion gives for them.
III. Many of the particular occasions of offence taken at the Saviour had been themselves actually predicted.
IV. No objections brought against Christianity should be considered alone; they, and the evidence it produces in its favour, should be considered together. The chief objections are-
(1) The needlessness of any supernatural revelation;
(2) the want of universality in Christianity;
(3) the weakness of the evidence produced in its favour;
(4) the difficulties found in some of the peculiar and sublime doctrines of the gospel;
(5) the disagreements among those who profess the gospel;
(6) the stress which Christianity lays upon faith;
(7) the difficulties of its precepts;
(8) the inconsistencies of professors. (John Hodge.)
Message of Christ to one beginning to be offended
John, in prison, hears of the great progress of the kingdom he has heralded, and cannot understand why he is left unaided, seemingly unpitied, to perish. Not for want of power, surely; the hand that healed the sick could open the prison. If for want of will, can this be the real King? Why does the axe not smite the overshadowing tree of wickedness; why does the fan not winnow the evil from the good? So he sends his message of remonstrance and indignation. To this Christ gives a twofold answer. He bids John’s disciples tell their master of His works and of His word, of His miracles and of His teaching.
I. Miracles, i.e., not merely things to wonder at, but signs that the supernatural kingdom of righteousness wrought by a power, a will, a voice outside of and acting on nature; telling us that this order of nature may yet be completely changed for a higher and better, in which it shall be as unnatural for man to suffer, sorrow, and die, as it is now natural. But the exercise of this power was limited. Only some of the sick were healed and dead raised. To assure us that eventually all shall be, we need, besides the evidence of Christ’s works, the declaration of His-
II. Word-“to the poor the gospel is preached.” Why is this significant? Because poverty is only another word for human imperfection and weakness. The life of humanity on earth is a life of struggle with nature. In proportion as man subdues the earth, progress, civilization, and wealth increase. But all are not equally fitted for this struggle; hence, while the strong frame, keen intellect, resolute will, conquer circumstances, the weak suffer and hunger. But in the kingdom of heaven there is a gospel for the poor. God has another world, in which to redress the inequalities of this, where the poor shall hunger and thirst no more, and where God shall wipe away the tears from all eyes. This gospel for the poor is no myth or mirage begotten of the fevered thirst of man’s soul. Deeprooted in historic fact lie the reasons of this promise. The city of God that is to come down from heaven has had its foundation-stone laid already upon earth. The gospel for the poor is the gospel of the resurrection. He who preaches it, stands beside an open grave. Moreover, the glory to come is linked with present suffering as its result and fruit. The law of the heavenly kingdom requires that the sin which hinders our happiness should be burnt out by sorrow, and that we should bear the chastening cross in this life. While the rich man is told that if he would walk heavenward he must be ready to part with riches and become poor at Christ’s bidding, the poor man is comforted with the knowledge that weariness, sorrow, toil, suffering, and disappointment, if taken up as a cross, if lifted as a burden the Saviour has appointed, will bear rich fruit in heaven. Thus, out of suffering comes joy; out of sorrow, eternal peace; and so the trials of the poor man in this world are made his spiritual wealth in the world to come. (Bishop W. C. Magee.)
Offended by faithful preaching
Mr. Dodd, having preached against the profanation of the Sabbath, which much prevailed in his parish, and especially among the more wealthy inhabitants, the servant of a nobleman, who was one of them, came to him and said, “Sir, you have offended my lord to-day.” Mr. Dodd replied, “I should not have offended your lord, except he had been conscious to himself that he had first offended my Lord; and if your lord will offend my Lord, let him be offended.”
The ready way to blessedness
I. What it is to be offended in Christ.
1. It supposes some offer and revelation made to us, that grace is brought home to us and salvation offered to us.
2. It implieth such an offence that either they are kept off from Christ, or else drawn away from Him.
II. Upon what occasions men were offended in Christ.
1. They were displeased with His Person.
2. They were offended at His doctrine.
3. The great stumbling-block of all was His sufferings.
III. Was it not proper to that age only? There is danger still:-
1. Because, though the name of Christ be had in honour, yet the stricter profession of godliness is under reproach.
2. It may happen that the stricter sort of Christians are the poorer, and so may be despised of men.
3. Though men be not distasted against Christianity as a whole, yet in part, at some of its ways.
4. There is no man but if he run up his refusal of Christ to its proper principle he will find it to be some dislike, either from the inward constitution of his own mind, or the external state of religion in the world.
What is likely to offend since Christ’s exaltation into heaven?
1. The many calamities which attend the profession of religion.
2. They may take offence at Christ’s doctrine, at the purity, self-denial, the simplicity, the mysteriousness of it.
IV. The kinds of this sin of being offended in Christ.
1. There is an offence with contempt, and an offence with discouragement.
2. There is an offence of ignorance, and an offence of malice and opposition.
3. There is a total, and there is a partial, offence.
V. How is it true that those that escape this sin are in the ready way to salvation?
1. He that is not offended but evangelized, hath the power and virtue of the gospel stamped upon his heart.
2. The esteem produceth uniform obedience.
3. We are better fortified against temptations to apostasy-errors, scandals, and persecutions.
VI. Make use of this caution. Take heed of being offended in Christ.
1. Who are in danger of it.
2. The heinousness of it.
(1) It is unreasonable.
(2) Natural.
(3) Dangerous.
3. What shall we do to avoid it?
(1) Get a clear understanding;
(2) a mortified heart;
(3) a fervent love. (T. Manton, D. D.)