Offensive Grace

Matthew 11:2-6

Now when John [the Baptist] heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone (Vol. 1)

[John] was expecting Jesus to be a man of fire, an Elijah-like character who would sweep through Israel as Elijah had dealt with the prophets of Baal . . . No doubt John looked forward eagerly to the day, not long now, when Jesus would confront Herod himself, topple him from his throne, become king in his place – and get his cousin out of prison, and give him a place of honor.

But it seemed as though Jesus was working to a different script altogether. (Matthew refers to what Jesus was doing as ‘his messianic deeds,’ but part of the point is that John didn’t see them like that.) Jesus was going around befriending tax-collectors and ‘sinners’ (people whom strict Jews would regard as outsiders, not keeping the Torah properly). He was gaining a great reputation – but not for doing what John want him to do. What was going on? (125-6)

A. Orendorff

Jesus is offensive. I know that it’s cliché to say so and that often such an assertion serves more as an excuse for Jesus’ followers to be offensive rather than Jesus himself, but nonetheless the reality remains: Jesus is offensive; Jesus divides; Jesus brings “not peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34); Jesus makes people mad; Jesus insults; Jesus talks about hell, judgment and wrath and he does it all the time.

However, as today’s passage points out, Jesus also heals the lame, cleanses the lepers, raises the dead and preaches “good news” to the poor. What a strange way to cause offense. Hell-talking Jesus, well, we can understand why hell-talking Jesus might offend people. But, healing-Jesus, cleansing-Jesus, preaching-good-news Jesus? Why is that Jesus so offensive?

John’s response to Jesus’ “messianic deeds” teaches us that grace is often just as offensive as law, sometimes even more so. Grace is unmeasured, irrespective of persons, dangerous, unfair and costly. Grace gives life to people who deserve death; it heals those who deserve sickness; it forgives those who deserve condemnation; and it offends (yes, offends) those who think they can do without.