The sermon you missed Sunday. As children raise in the Sunday School we learned the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. We are also familiar with other beatitudes of our Lord, such as Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing; Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. But here is a little beatitude, short and sandwiched between longer verses, so that we are in danger of passing it up altogether: Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over me”, or another translation “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. Matt. 11:6 John the Baptist was in prison. The Elijah of the New Testament, prophet of the outdoors, was certainly out of place in a damp, dark prison. No wonder he had the blues. One day he is feeling depressed and he sent disciples to Jesus to ask, Art thou he that should come or do we look for another? Now, that was a serious doubt for John the Baptist. The very thing he had preached had become a question mark to the preacher himself. It reminds us of another prophet of the dungeon, Jeremiah, who cried to God from the depths, Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar and as waters that fail? But the LORD did not lecture John the Baptist on his lack of faith. It is significant that two of the strongest characters in the Bible had something like to a nervous breakdown. Elijah, in the Old Testament, collapsed under the juniper, and God had to feed and rest him. More than one Christian, exhausted, with nerves on edge, has imagined that he is the last survivor of the saints. And usually they do not need reproof but rest. Here is John the Baptist of the camels hair garments living on locusts and wild honey, a man who could reprove kings and call religious people vipers; here is John the Baptist down in the dumps! Even the best have their bad days. It is one thing to stand on Jordan and tell people that God will take care of them; it is another thing to look through the bar while in jail and believe that this is God taking care of you! But what did Jesus do? Did he reprove the troubled prophet? Did He say, Im ashamed of you, disappointed in you. What will people think—you are in jail? He did nothing of the sort. He did not even send John a DVD on How To Be Happy In Jail! On the contrary, on the day that John the Baptist made his doubting remarks about Jesus, Jesus said the best thing about John the Baptist: Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! For Jesus knew his frame and remembered that he was dust. John had preached a victorious Messiah with fan in hand, purging His floor, gathering His wheat into the garner but burning the chaff with unquenchable fire. And here was Jesus, not carrying on that way at all but meek and lowly, going about doing good. And John couldnt figure it out. The devil got in his doubts. John began doubting and then worrying he had made the wrong choice. Our Lords answer to Johns question is simple. The blind are seeing, the deaf are hearing, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. In other words, I am running on schedule and carrying out my program as planned. It may not be as you expected but do not be upset by it. This is a day of spiritual bondage, and many saints are in the clutches of Giant Despair. There is reassurance here for us if John the Baptist could question his choices and wonder about the strength of his faith being tested—where does that leave most of us? Brethren, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. Your temptation is common unto man and there is a way of escape. Johns trouble, like most of our trouble, did not come alone, it was twofold. There was depression and there was doubt. Bondage brings depression and depression brings doubt. Are you in bondage? Not behind visible walls and bars perhaps, but while stone walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage, it is also true that other things than prison walls do a prison make and other than iron bars may form a cage putting us in bondage. Is your trouble financial? Maybe your blood pressure is up and your bank account down. Maybe you are physically in pain everyday but you keep going and everyone thinks because you are walking around with a smile you are OK! Maybe you have lost a loved one and a shroud of gloom hangs heavy on your soul. Perhaps you dread to see the end of the day because you are unable to sleep. Bondage brings depression and from depression it is easy to move into doubt, doubt about your salvation, even doubt about Jesus. When we are upset and offended we need to remember the Forgotten Beatitude. It is nothing new to be offended in Jesus. More people have been offended in Him than in any character in history. We have heard too much touchy-feely preaching about Jesus. He has caused more offense than any other person who ever lived. He is either a sanctuary or a stumbling stone (Isaiah 8:14). He was an offense to His own nation and still is (Romans 9:33). He offended the Pharisees (Matthew 15:12). He offended the people of His own home town (Matthew 13:54-58). He offended superficial disciples (John 6). His cross is an offense (1 Cor. 1:23). And even true disciples may be offended in Him (Matthew 26:31-35). Sound believers sometimes get find themselves in the prison of despair and pout with the Lord and say, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinances and walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts. Mal.3:14 Dont you act so religious, for we all have done it! We have complained when our prayers are not answered. We gave our tithe and offerings and now we are in financial hardship. We were faithful to the Lords house and landed in a hospital. We prayed for our children and they have forsaken the LORD. We looked for joy and peace but we are unhappy. Why is this happening to me? It is even more disheartening when we look around and see an ungodly family that has suffered no loss, while our loved one was taken. There is no use in praying. Our daily devotional books seem to make the Christian life look rosy. Where have I gone wrong? We were in distress and the Lord abode where he was and when He did appear we grumbled like Martha when she said, If you had been here my brother would not have died. All of our grumbling means that we have not learned the Forgotten Beatitude. Anybody can believe during fair weather. The song says, “Life is easy when you are upon the mountain.” There is a deeper experience and a higher state which many fail to reach, a state in which, no matter what happens, we are never offended in the Lord, a state in which, whether it makes sense to us or not, we still believe Romans 8:28. (Don’t know it? Look it up) Habakkuk started his book pouting and ended it praising. And blessed is the man who can say: Though I dont get what I want: though I may sow much and reap little; though others get the glory and I get nothing, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. When Thomas asked for visible evidence of the risen Lord, he was asking for a smaller blessing than he already had, the privilege of believing without seeing, for blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. God wants us to trust Him, no matter what He does. There will be plenty of things that just dont make sense. John the Baptist must have wondered, If Jesus can raise the dead, why cant He get me out of jail? There is much that is baffling, but if we cant understand it, by grace we can stand under it, we can see to it that we are not offended, and that is better than understanding it! Some things we are to know (Matthew 13:11) and some things we are not to know (Acts 1:7), and we would be happier if we spent the time we waste on trying to understand the unknowable and spend our time learning the knowable. God did not explain suffering to Job. He gave him revelation, which was better than explanation. Better than having all our questions answered is to say, The Lord knows what He is doing and I will not be offended. In this dark hour of world distress there are believers in the dumps. Jesus seems not to be carrying on as expected. The world is not being converted. Has Christ failed? He isnt transforming the social order. Is He the One or shall we look for another? Many have been falsely taught and have misunderstood His mission, His motive, His message, His method. It is true that He is not converting the world. He didnt say He would. But He has not failed, He is running on schedule. Blind eyes are opening to the Light of the world. Deaf ears are hearing His voice. Lame souls are taking up their beds and walking. Lepers, like Naaman of old, are dipping in Jordan and coming up with flesh like that of a little child. The dead in trespasses and sins are awaking to Christ, their Life and Light, and to the poor the Gospel is still begin preached. Christ is carrying on as intended. He has never missed an appointment. He may seem slow but He is never late. We do not need to be offended because He is not converting the world. He didnt promise to, but He did promise to return in clouds of glory and reign until all enemies are put under His feet. Let us therefore take our stand on His Word and hide it in our hearts, as the Psalmist said great peace has they who love your law: and nothing can make them stumble (Psalm 119:165). Look up saints! Your redemption draws nigh.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 22:57:08 +0000
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