Being Offended

Have you been offended… today? In the car in traffic, maybe? Or, someone not saying “Hello” when you said “Hello”? Or maybe someone not saying “Hello” first and that you had to say “Hello” first?

Offenses come so easily in our day and time. It’s true. But have you stopped to notice them or think about why they are such stingers?

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
— Matthew 13:21

Jesus is talking and is in the middle of His “parable of the sower” when he talks about a person who “by and by he is offended”.

The word “offended” here is the greek word “skandalizo“, which is defined as “to cause to stumble” or “to entrap”. Its root is “skandalon“, which is defined as “stumbling block” or “a trap-stick” or “snare”. (The word is also from where we get the English word “scandal”.)

Does that help clear the meaning up? Offenses are like traps or snares, designed to catch something — specifically humans.

That’s right — offenses are traps. We are being “hunted”. By who? The god of this world, of course.

It’s important to note that offenses will come — and keep coming:

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
— Matthew 18:7

It’s what we do in the midst of an offense that matters.

Do we dwell on it? Do we let it simmer in our minds? Do we grow bitterness, wrath, anger? Do we think thoughts of malice?

Or do we let the offense go?

Getting over an offense is like releasing the bait in a trap. Guess who wins when we do that — we do.

Getting over offenses follows the same line as forgiveness — often because we feel we are “owed” something, we hang onto offenses, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc. We need to actively forgive the offenses that come to us (it helps to renew your mind as well).

Go ahead, give it a try. The next time you are offended, overlook the offense. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, flee the opportunity to get upset or “fight back”.

Win the day today and overcome your offenses!