OFFENDED BY JESUS?

By: Frank G. Tunstall 

Luke records a story about Jesus paying a visit to a home owned by a woman named Martha, in a village Luke did not name. She had a sister named Mary living with her. Luke’s story makes no mention of a brother. The women hosted a meal for Jesus and His disciples that evening. Martha was caught up with getting the meal ready, while Mary wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus and drink in what He was saying. Martha became upset and said to Jesus, “tell [Mary] to come and help me” (Luke 10:40 TLB). Jesus responded: “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and it won’t be taken from her” (Luke 10:41–42 MSG).

Over the centuries of church history this Martha has come to especially symbolize women in the church who are doers, while Mary is the model for worshippers, “the main course.”

If this Martha and Mary of Luke’s account are the same women presented in John 11, Martha obviously absorbed the lesson because the roles reversed. For example, “when Martha heard Jesus was coming,” after Lazarus had already died, “she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home” (John 11:20 NIV).

Grief is an emotion that strikes everyone sooner or later, and it can become inappropriately controlling and paralyzing, usually when people give up hope. Grief can walk a person down into the lonely valley of the mind into the deep well of depression. In this state, a person can easily believe even prayer is useless. A person might also stop attending worship services, for example. This reality often embraces very painful thoughts like, “I know God does not care about me, so why go to church?”

Yes, suffering will show us what is in our hearts.

Were Mary’s expectations of Jesus, “come heal our brother,” too crushed for her to go meet Him with her sister?

Has Jesus ever offended you, my reader, when He did not answer your prayers by giving you what you were sure was a right and proper request? (Luke 7:23 KJV).

“Whatever You Ask!”

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus when they met on the outskirts of Bethany, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:21-22 NIV).

This is the sad language of disappointed faith colored by deep grief and wrapped with a sliver of hope. Martha’s statement, which Mary would also repeat in her own way a short while later (11:32), was obviously an expression of faith, although enclosed in a cocoon of disillusionment. Her reasoning might have been like this: “Jesus, I’m sure God will answer your prayers; He will do ‘whatever you ask,’ but He didn’t answer mine.”

So many people in the extremities of life have felt similar emotions, some asking questions in faith and others in unbelief.

I prayed earnestly; so why did Jesus not hear me?
Jesus had the power to intervene; why didn’t He?
Can I depend on God to be there when I need Him?

Those who express these thoughts in faith do so out of the struggle of their own hearts, and in time almost invariably they draw closer to the Lord. Those who ask them in unbelief usually use the questions to challenge the love of God, “the great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4 NIV). These people are often hardened further in their doubt and unbelief.

“I Miss Him”

In the late 1940s, Charles Templeton (1915 – 2001) was a close friend and preaching associate of Billy Graham. He effectively preached the gospel to large crowds in major arenas. Intellectual doubts, however, began to nag at him. He questioned the truth of Scripture and other core Christian beliefs. Templeton finally abandoned his faith and made an unsuccessful attempt to persuade young Billy Graham to do the same. Templeton said he felt sorry for Billy and commented, “He committed intellectual suicide by closing his mind.”

Templeton resigned from the ministry and became a novelist and news commentator. He also wrote a critique of the Christian faith, Farewell to God: My Reasons for Rejecting the Christian Faith.

Journalist Lee Strobel interviewed Templeton for his book, The Case for Faith. Templeton’s age at the time  of Strbel’s visit was 83 and he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. He revealed some of the reasons he left the faith:

“I started considering the plagues that sweep across parts of the planet and indiscriminately kill—more often than not, painfully—all kinds of people, the ordinary, the decent, and the rotten. And it just became crystal clear to me it is not possible for an intelligent person to believe there is a deity who loves.”

Lee Strobel then asked Templeton about Jesus and was surprised at the response. Templeton believed Jesus lived but that Jesus never considered Himself to be God:

“He was the greatest human being who has ever lived. He was a moral genius. His ethical sense was unique. He was the intrinsically wisest person I’ve ever encountered in my life or in my readings. He’s the most important thing in my life. I know it may sound strange, but I have to say I adore him! Everything good I know, everything decent I know, everything pure I know, I learned from Jesus. He is the most important human being who has ever existed. And if I may put it this way, I miss Him.” “Templeton’s eyes filled with tears and he wept freely. He refused to say more.”
By: Lee Strobel, cited from PreachingToday.com.

Martha believed she had the right to expect their friend Jesus to return a favor (phileo, friendship love), and come heal her brother. When Jesus did not, she was offended and disappointed, but she did not reject Jesus. Templeton made the choice to reject Jesus. Templeton gave Jesus many very kind compliments, but he did not confess to Him the one faith statement that always counts the most – “Jesus, I acknowledge you as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.” That choice meant when Templeton faced some of life’s toughest questions he had no answer, because he had rejected God’s Son who is the answer. Jesus told His critics: “If you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24 NIV). Suffering really does show us what is inside us.

Yes, moving from friendship love (phileo) to agape love for Martha and Mary was a journey wrapped with the black ribbons of deep disappointment and even depression. But Jesus was operating in the realm of agape, God’s love. It is the love of God that acts in our best interests as only Jesus knows what is best for us, and He does it with no strings attached.

The faith of these very grieving sisters did blossom so that they came to understand the difference between the two kinds of love. They even realized Jesus had their best interests in mind all along. Raising Lazarus from the dead was surely a far greater blessing to them and their many friends than healing their brother’s terminal illness ever could have been.

C.S. Lewis had it right when he wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: MacMillan, p. 1962, p. 93).

I could not go on without Him I know,
The world would o’erwhelm my soul;
For I could not see the right way to go,
When temptations o’er me roll.
Chorus: He whispers sweet peace to me.
He whispers sweet peace to me.
When I am cast down in spirit and soul,
He whispers sweet peace to me.
By: William M. Ramsay

Related posts

SO

Dear Readers,  A lifetime friend asked me to add some remarks and comment about...

JESUS: “MY TIME”

By: Frank Tunstall, D. Min. This lesson can be effective for high school and...

PASSING THE TORCH

By: Frank Tunstall, D. Min. “If you love me, you will obey what I...

A Hated Messiah?

By: Frank Tunstall, D. Min. The name, Jesus Christ, means Savior-Messiah. As Jesus neared...

UNEXPECTED JOY

  By: Frank Tunstall and Phil Larson Join us as we pray and study...

“CRAVING TO UNDERSTAND”

By: Frank Tunstall The prophets:  “yearning to understand Messiah’s suffering and glory” (1 Peter...

“But if Not”

By: Frank Tunstall, D. Min. All children of God sooner or later will need...

THE PRECIOUS RING

By: Frank G. Tunstall We all have our treasures that we hold to strongly....

Beth Moore: God Uses Your Mistakes for Good

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/january-web-only/beth-moore-god-uses-your-mistakes-for-good.html By: Beth Moore Years ago, when the number of attendees at Living Proof...

THE CROSS IS OUR STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

 ChristianityToday.com/ct/2019/November/cross-is-our-stairway-to-heaven.html Our salvation comes not from someone on our level, but from someone infinitely...

HOW BILLY GRAHAM LEARNED THE ART OF PREACHING

https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2019/august-web-exclusives/billy-graham-learned-art-of-preaching.html? The late evangelist called himself the “champion rambler.” By: Grant Wacker  When I...

THE BILLY GRAHAM RULE GOES TO COURT

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/august/billy-graham-rule-sheriff-north-carolina-lawsuit.html? A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy sues his former employer for religious discrimination after...

BIVOCATIONAL AND COVOCATIONAL MINISTRY

  www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2019/spring/no-easy-calling.html? Three honest stories about its rewards and challenges. BY: LINDA W. PERKINS...

SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE CLERGY

 www.snapnetwork.org/abuse of faith_feb19 Debbie Vasquez at 14 By:  SNAP  Survivors Network of those Abused...

YOUR PLAN B IS STILL GOD’S PLAN

christianitytoday.com/women/2019/january/church-planting-your-plan-b-is-still-gods-plan.html  By: Sandra Peoples In 2015, my husband and I moved from rural Pennsylvania...

THE MAGNIFICAT

By Frank Tunstall The Holy Spirit overshadowed the Virgin Mary in the miraculous and...

A CAROL FOR THE DESPAIRING

www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/december/longfellow-carol-for-despairing-i-heard-bells.html Penned during the Civil War, Longfellow’s ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’...

?? A DIGITAL CHURCH IN THE DIGITAL AGE ??

 https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2018/fall-state-of-church-ministry/embodied-church-in-digital-age.html Should we cheer or moan when online churches perform virtual baptisms? By: Kara...

CHINA CRACKS DOWN – AGAIN

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/november/what-to-do-about-persecution-in-china.html?share=56xKkXi%2fdTPQjQCm3LBm6NPogOGXW4vm   The government is removing crosses from their steeples and replacing them...

WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHURCH PLANTERS GONE?

christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/august/where-have-all-church-planters-gone.                  What’s the greatest hindrance to effective church planting? BY: Jeff Christopherson You...

SINGLES: A VITAL PART OF OUR CHURCHES

www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/july/singles-vital-part-of-our-churches Singles make up half of our churches, so we best learn to treat...

HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION

BY: FRANK TUNSTALL, D. MIN. Three outstanding facts stand out regarding Peter’s bold preaching...

3 COMMON REASONS FOR MINISTRY BURNOUT

www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/how-to-prevent-ministry-burnout? By: Raul Rivera Burnout reason #1: Critical Church Members Oftentimes, one of the...

THESE BOMBS LED ME TO CHRIST

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/may/napalm-girl-kim-phuc-phan-thi-fire-road.html The “Napalm Girl” from a famous Vietnam War photo tells her story of...

JESUS’ GLORIFIED BODY

 By Frank G. Tunstall  Cleopas and his unnamed friend had Jesus’ undivided attention on...

“JESUS WEPT!”

 By Frank G. Tunstall When Mary walked up to Jesus on the outskirts of...

5 TOP PRIORITIES FOR INCREASING YOUR CHURCH

 sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/charles-arn-5-top-priorities-for-increasing-your-church This article is a classic on church growth. It was first released in 2010...

EVANGELIST BILLY GRAHAM HAS DIED

www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/billy-graham/mom-mass-media-and-me.html ‘America’s pastor’ shaped modern evangelicalism. By: Marshall Shelley Billy Graham was perhaps the...

ICEBERG COLD REJECTION

  By: Frank G. Tunstall  Jesus the Prophet deserved the highest adoration, but the...

BLAME US FOR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

https://townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/2018/01/23/blame-us-for-government-shutdown-n2438025     By: Cal Thomas If we don’t like what is happening in...

THE SURPRISING REASON YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE

https://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-mission/the-surprising-reason-you-are-where-you-are-8093 By: Ron Hutchcraft Some years ago, we took a delegation of teenagers to...

WHAT YOUR PASTOR REALLY WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS

ChristianityToday.com/pastors/2017/november-web-exclusives/what-your-pastor-really-wants-for-christmas.html?utm_source BY:The editors of CTPastors.com This Christmas, forego the wooden praying hands, the cross-stitched...

CAN THERE BE ONE RIGHT RELIGION?

http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/can-there-be-one-right-religion; Posted November 14, 2017   By: Sean McDowell Recently I was in a...

THE ONE GROUP YOU MIGHT FORGET THIS CHRISTMAS

http://blog.thrivingpastor.com/the-one-group-you-might-forget-this-christmas-2/?refcd=574803&utm_campaign=Thriving+Pastor By John McGee  Nov. 27, 2017 The holiday season is upon us. As...

HEALING HEALERS

By Phil Larson, as told to Frank Tunstall The world’s largest casino is located...

FAITH IS NOT BLIND!

BY: FRANK TUNSTALL Some critics’ claim Christians believe on blind faith, defined as belief...

HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE: CHRISTIAN HISTORY TIMELINE

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-43/how-we-got-our-bible-christian-history-timeline.html Have you ever wondered how the Bible has developed through the centuries, so...

IRS TAXES PASTOR FOR SALARY HE NEVER RECEIVED

www.utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=irs_taxes_pastor_for_salary_he_never_received_2017_10_05 By: Raul Rivera This time of year we get an abundance of phone...

WHAT THE CARPENTER SEES IN YOU

https://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-most-important-relationship/what-the-carpenter-sees-in-you-7979  By Ron Hutchcraft  Hutchcraft.Com Many years ago we were shopping for a place...

WHEN A PRIVATE APOLOGY IS NOT ENOUGH

sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/joe-mckeever-when-a-private-apology-is-not-enough   This article is certainly thought provoking. I think he is saying something...

REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU’RE TIRED OF PEOPLE

thrivingpastor.com/remember-this-when-youre-tired-of-people-2/?refcd=518301&utm_campaign=Remember+This+When+You’re+Tired+of+People   By: John McGee  July 10, 2017 / Focus on the Family Have...

HOW TO LAST IN MINISTRY

Pastor Rick’s Ministry Toolbox <info=pastors.com@mail143.wdc02.mcdlv.net By: Rick Warren Ministry is a marathon: it’s not...

THE SUCCESS AFFAIR

christianitytoday.com/pastors/2017/june-web-exclusives/success-affair.html?utm_source=leadership-tml&utm_medium=Newsletter Why do so many adulterous relationships begin when ministry is going well? By:...

THE MANY BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE

http://blog.thrivingpastor.com/the-many-benefits-of-gratitude/?refcd=504701&utm_campaign=The+Many+Benefits+of+Gratitude This well written article is excellent for focusing us on the grace of...

THE SOBBING SAVIOR

By: Frank G. Tunstall I thought about it hundreds of times over the years,...

HOSANNA

By: Frank G. Tunstall “The next day the great crowd that had come for...

“PRAY FIRST!”

Dr. Ron White serves as president of Emmanuel College. He assumed that role October...

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS

sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/lance-witt-courageous-conversations–part-2 By: Lance Witt Courageous conversations is a battle of prepositions.  Half of the...

ONE QUESTION YOU MUST NEVER ASK IN MINISTRY

classic.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/joe-mckeever-one-question-you-must-never-ask-in-ministry-2697.asp? “Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the...

I WENT TO HELL IN A DREAM

  charismamag.com/spirit/supernatural/28155-revivalist-i-went-to-hell-in-a-dream During this night of terror more than 25 years ago, I fell...

FRANKLIN GRAHAM SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ELECTION

theblaze.com/stories/2016/10/16/franklin-graham-sounds-off-about-the-evangelical-response-to-trumps-latest-scandals By: Franklin Graham   October 16, 2016 A lot of people are slamming evangelicals...

DANCING ON THE EDGE

Released by Focus on the Family, June 6, 2016 http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/divorce-and-infidelity/affairs-and-adultery/dancing-on-the-edge By: A pastor who’s...

WHEN TO DISOBEY?

 By: David Koyzis  What happens when the demands of government contradict our faith in...

“IT IS FINISHED!”

 By Frank G. Tunstall The ancient Greeks boasted about being able to say much...

The Day I Hit the Wall

By: Gordon McDonald Marathon runners speak of “hitting the wall,” a moment in a...

HONORING MARRIAGE

Posted by Focus on the Family, December 7, 2015 by Kevin Conklin I once...

RETHINKING DREAMS

By: Frank G. Tunstall  John 1:43 “The next day Jesus decided to leave for...

One comment

  • T. Elwood Long

    Thanks, Dr. Tunstall, for your insightful and inspiring message, “Offended by Jesus”. It is a marvelous reminder that our Lord will “whisper sweet peace” to us in our times of difficulty and questions if we will attentively listen to His voice of assurance.

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.




Top