The Unoffended Life

Luke 23:26-43

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. (Luke 23:34)

IF ANYONE EVER HAD A RIGHT to be offended, it was Jesus. A perfectly righteous man was condemned, tortured, ridiculed, and executed by a host of unsavory characters who had no idea what and whom they were dealing with. They were rulers and citizens of a rebellious world, abusing the Son of God who created it. Yet Jesus refused to live or die with an offense. He forgave his tormentors for what appears to us to be almost unforgivable. His ministry of reconciliation took priority over his personal wounds.

That’s a great model for us to follow. Most of us have plenty of personal wounds—some self-inflicted or well-deserved, others quite undeserved at the hands of abusive or ignorant people. Yet we have been called to a ministry of reconciliation in which we seek the highest good for the greatest number of people around us, which includes those who have hurt us. Yes, we are victimized at times by cruel and destructive words and actions; and yes, we have every right to be angry. But ultimately we find ourselves in the position of having been reconciled to God in spite of our own offenses, and we have to seek the reconciliation of others in spite of theirs. We are called to live unoffended lives.

That’s hard to do. The only way we can is to see into eternity and know the grace we’ve been given, the inheritance we’ve been promised, and the love that surrounds us even now. When we do—when we’re immersed in the glories of heaven—earthly offenses become minor issues, much smaller than the spiritual and emotional needs of those who offend us. We no longer have to zealously guard our own interests because we know God is zealously guarding them for us. We no longer have to lick our wounds or protect our hearts because we’ve been healed and are protected. We are free to love and forgive—and to demonstrate what it’s like to be so free.

{Jesus, your grace is always greater than anyone’s sin. You have an infinite capacity to absorb and deflect the insults of this world. Let me be like you—overwhelmed with heaven’s glory and unconcerned with earth’s affronts. Amen.