Rock of Offence

Romans 9:33
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This past Sunday as I listened to my pastor, he was preaching on the text found in Mark chapter 8 where Jesus spits in the eyes of the blind man before he touches him. As he exposited the passage showing how Jesus led the man out of town to heal him, that Jesus would not simply be a side show but cared about the man himself, the age old question as to why Jesus spit in his eye was brought up.

I started wondering if I were to spit in your eye, what would be your normal reaction? Would you be offended wouldn’t you?
If you don’t think so, try it. Go and spit in your spouses eyes, or one of your children’s eyes, they will at least be quicker to forgive you, but none-the-less they will be offended. Of course there is also the fella that Jesus put mud in his eyes that he made from spit and told him to go wash (John 9:6-7) but I started going over other places where Jesus purposefully did something that could offend them.
John 6:54-57
54. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

This time is wasn’t something that he did, it was something that he said, as a matter of record, what Jesus said was what most often offended. I am sure you can come up with quite a few different places on your own, not only recorded in scripture as to the reactions of others, but take what God’s word says and recall your own reaction at different times. Ever been offended by what God’s Word says? But back to scripture for a moment.


Matthew 15:21-28
21. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Do you see an opportunity for taking offence here, like in verse 26?

Here’s a classic:
Matthew 16:23
23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

What Peter said offended Jesus and it is quite clear that Jesus was not about to allow an offence stop him from following God’s will for him. Do you think Peter was offended by what Jesus said? Well the scriptures do not record that he was offended, but you must admit, the opportunity to be offended at what Jesus said is there.

I also must admit as I was sitting there thinking of all the different places where people in the gospels had an opportunity to be offended by Jesus himself, I sort of stopped listening to the preaching so I should probably get the tape.

Here is the conclusion that I reached, and I believe I can show example after example of it in the scriptures:

Offence toward Jesus or his words is the filter that God uses to extract the faith in Christ Jesus the Lord that is genuine.