Offensive but Needful

   Then came his [Jesus’] disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:10-14)

   One day certain religious leaders saw some of Jesus’ disciples eating without washing their hands first. They asked Jesus, “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” (Matthew 15:1)

   The issue here was not sanitation, but a religious tradition that was being treated like Jewish law. Mark 7:3 says, “For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.”

   The clergy were holding their man-made religious tradition in higher regard than God’s Word. The handwashing tradition was not the only instance. That’s why Jesus told them, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:9) Of all people, the clergy should be faithful to God’s Word, but the scribes and Pharisees weren’t. Their false teaching was leading people to hell. Jesus had good reason to respond to them as He did.

   Later, Jesus’ disciples told Him that the Pharisees were offended at His words. Yet He had said nothing wrong. He was God in the flesh. He always said the right thing the right way for the right reason. He also hadn’t said what He said because He hated them. Very much to the contrary. He loved them and wanted them to be forgiven for their sins and saved. Yet they had to be shaken out of their religious deception.

   In police work, politics, and personal conversation, a time will likely come when you need to say things people won’t like but they need to hear. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend;”   Speak the truth, even if it offends. Be as decent as you can about it, “…speaking the truth in love,” (Ephesians 4:15), but say what must be said. Lies don’t help people. Truth can “wound” people, as the Bible says. Yet if they get past the offense and take heed to the truth, they are better off in the end, and they realize you’re actually being a friend by speaking the truth and risking offense.

  The most faithful “wound of a friend” is the gospel. The gospel can be offensive. People may not enjoy hearing that they are sinners, not right with God, and deserving of hell. Yet the Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” “For the wages of sin is death;” “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” (Romans 3:23, 6:23, Revelation 20:14) Offensive or no, truth is truth.

   Yet if people get past the offense and accept the truth, they realize Jesus’ wonderful love in dying for our sins and rising again: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15:4) Then when a sinner comes to Jesus for forgiveness and receives Him as Saviour, there is “…joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1 Peter 1:9)

   Don’t be afraid to speak the truth, or too proud to accept it when you must. We all need to be “wounded” at times. Most importantly, if you want to see how to receive Jesus as Saviour and have an eternal home in heaven, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”

Brian Miller 2/8/2021

Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216-671-2822